Thunderdog
by TimelessKitsune
Summary: Prompto had never really had the best luck; being born a strange version of a daemon called a Thunderdog, being raised by humans only to be taken away from that home and turned into a Magitek Unit, and then running into Noctis. The gods do seem to like playing their little tricks with him. Now he must set out with Noctis in a quest to return the light no matter the cost. AU of FFXV
1. Striking Twice

**So here's my first story on this account. One thing that I'm going to note. The descriptions of the characters probably won't match those of the actual characters in the game, movie, or anime. Don't worry too much about it, because I did it on purpose for a lot of them. As for why, well if you read carefully enough you might figure out in time.**

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 **This is also a complete AU of the story, and I do plan on making more than one book in this "series" of events. I'm planning on also making more stories about this game, and others. If its something that interests you, feel free to keep reading. Enjoy the story and feel free to leave me a review below.**

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Chapter One: Striking Twice

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The ground sped past his tired paws, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He had to keep going, and he would keep going, until his legs gave out beneath him. He didn't want to be caught again, considering what the Empire would do to him if he did. He was defective. A Magitek that was too kind to humanity, a creature with his memories even though he should have been a mindless machine that was supposed to kill on command. How he'd retained his memories from being a demon before was beyond him, but he was terrified.

He didn't want to die, but he was even more scared of the idea of being alone. His kind were already rare as it was, having nearly been hunted to extinction. He was a Deamon known as a Thunderdog, a large wolf like creature with almost wing like blade structures on its back haunches and shoulders. Still, he was too small for his breed, and he wasn't a dark storm gray like the rest of them, but a bright lightning yellow. These things had made his pack abandon him as a pup.

That's where his familiarity and fondness to humanity had come in. Having been abandoned by his pack and too small to hunt for himself, he had wondered into a Hunter's camp. There, one of the children that lived there had adopted him, despite her parent's protests, and raised him. He had quickly become used to the way people stared at him, as if he was evil, and the way that those that showed him kindness acted towards him. He had quickly learned the best ways to get favorable reactions from humans, even learning to help with hunts.

His kind weren't very good outside of packs, and often worked best when in a group, so working with hunters was a good exercise for him. Though he couldn't speak their language, he had done his best during night hunts to help against the deamons they had been fighting. There had even been times when he had been separated from the group, only to find one of the hunters injured and guarding them through the night until morning came and the rest came out to look for them.

That hadn't last more than a year though before the Empire had come through the area and attacked the hunters for "disrupting the peace". Then he, along with many other Daemons, had been scooped up and thrown into cages, before going through years of conditioning and experiments until they had all gotten human like forms, become Magitek members, or MTs as they were most often called by the humans in the outer world. Still, he'd never forgotten his time before, or his kindness towards humanity. He'd even refused to let himself be known by the number and code that had been assigned to him. Even if Tia was dead, he wanted to keep the name she had given him, Prompto.

So he'd been running for days, and he hadn't stopped. After the unhappy citizens had attacked the citadel in an attempt to unseat the once kind, now power hungry dictator, he had been released to battle humans just like others of his kind. However he couldn't have brought himself to hurt the people if he had tried, and instead he had fled the battlefield instead. He was fast, much faster than a normal Thunderdog his age, but it was because he was small.

His fur, bright yellow, was spiked in long but soft trails down his body. His face was brown, as were his eyes, and there was a section of his body where his fur was short and brown, almost like a place where a saddle could be put. He was around seven years old now, easily the size of a large dog, but he was still too small for his age. White structures rose from his back and back haunches, sharp to the touch and made of bone, like an exoskeleton of some kind. His tail was short, almost bobbed, and it was difficult to see his long ears because of the equally long fur on either side of it.

It was an odd coloration to see since most Thunderdogs were a dark storm gray color and with dark golden wing like structures. They were also usually much larger, even at his age, and they weren't seen running in broad daylight. Being Daemons, they usually only came out at night, but being a MT, he was able to travel during the day and spent most of his time sleeping at night like a human would. Even so, he was much faster in his true form, and he didn't care who saw him as long as he could get away from that accursed place. Any fate, even death by a scared civilian, would be a better fate than having to kill people because they thought he should be some monster.

Prompto came to a field of beautiful purple-blue flowers. The scent they gave of was calming and peaceful, a gentle scent of peace and promised rest. Panting, the young MT sank down into the flowers, laying his head down on his tired paws. How long had he been running? Several days at least. Though he was a MT, and definitely not human, even he had his limits. He was young and inexperienced, and his headlong flight had left him too tired to continue. His long pink tongue lolled out of his mouth as he scanned the area. He was outside a town, Tenebrae, if he remembered correctly, and the only building that was nearby was the house of the line of the Oracle.

A frown touched his face a moment, not that a human could be able to tell what it was just by looking at him. He didn't know much about human culture, other than apparently the Oracle was supposed to be a girl with the ability to speak with the gods, and to heal the various afflictions caused by daemons. He hadn't been able to do any that his kind had once been able to do since he had become a MT, as if all the darkness of his birth had been cleansed from him somehow. How that had happened, he had no idea.

His ear flicked at the sound of a human child. It sounded male, and like it was in significant pain. There were older humans yelling, and the sounds of what seemed to be some kind of scuffle. Unhappy with the thought of a child being hurt, he stood and crept carefully towards the noise, which was coming from the house. Peering inside, he snarled as he saw MTs facing off against the various servants of the house. One of them had managed to drag a boy around his age out into the yard, and he wasn't making any move to stand.

There was a girl with long blonde hair, staring with wide eyes and looking desperate to help the boy. Her green eyes were piercing and worried, and something in that gaze made her even more inclined to help though he wasn't sure why. There were various servants, but a boy around fifteen or so with silver hair was trying his best to defend the girl, glancing around quickly for any way to get past the guards. Then Prompto noticed something else.

There were two dogs standing in the house, watching him with tilted heads. One was white while the other black, almost spitting images of each other. Well, he thought they looked like dogs, but there was something far too knowing in their eyes as they watched him. From the shadows stepped a woman with long black hair. Her eyes were closed for a moment, but they opened, revealing purple orbs that stared at him carefully. Seeing that he had met her gaze, she gave him a soft smile, putting a finger to her lips. She then pointed to the boy again. Slowly, Prompto let his eyes slide towards the boy, noticing the overturned wheelchair on the ground. So he was hurt? Could he not walk? As he turned his eyes back for confirmation, he noticed that both the woman and the two dogs had disappeared as if they had never been there.

As startled as he was by this new development, he decided he'd rather follow her request and help the boy. The MTs had turned their attention instead to the more obvious threat of the boy with the sword. Prompto slowly made his way over to the dark haired boy, pausing as he saw him. His hair was long, hanging into his face, and a dark black color.

His eyes on the other hand were a dark color as well, and Prompto was unsure what color they exactly were. They were fathomless, as if they had were meant for something far greater than this mortal shell spoke of. He was pale, trembling as he saw the daemon making his way closer. The Thunderdog dropped to his belly and crawled the rest of the way forward, hoping the boy wouldn't scream and alert the MTs to what he was trying to do.

No one had noticed yet. The commotion towards the front and the fight going on had seen to that. Stopping next to the boy, Prompto looked closely at the boy, watching for his reaction. The boy was quiet, and he was surprised to see interest there more than any fear. Did he not know what he actually was? No, he was fairly sure he was certain the boy knew he was a daemon. Still, he couldn't blame him for being curious.

Seemingly unable to move much, the boy managed to shift to where he raised a hand towards the MTs face, hesitating a moment with a shaking hand. Whether it was from fear or pain, Prompto couldn't tell, but he didn't move as the boy brushed the short brown fur on his face with his fingers. Embolded, the boy began stroking him more, which Prompto had to admit to himself he enjoyed. He hadn't been pet since Tia had adopted him, but he didn't have time for this.

"Can you stand?" Prompto whispered. The boy immediately pulled his hand back as if he had been stung.

"H-Huh?" the boy managed.

"I'm not a daemon," he replied. "I'm an MT, but I'm not with them." he added quickly, seeing the boy stiffen at this response. "Come on. Get on my back. I'll carry you."

The child hesitated again, seemingly nervous to trust the strange creature that he'd never met before. However he grimaced then and turned as much as he could, reaching up and grabbing onto Prompto's thick fur. The young MT didn't move as he waited for the boy to pull himself onto his back, even turning his shoulders as far as he could so the boy could pull himself over the blade like structures. The boy shuddered as he cut himself on the sharp spines, but didn't make a sound.

Once he was on Prompto's back and settled between the four blades, he wrapped his arms around Prompto's neck. Then, ignoring his screaming muscles, the Thunderdog stood and turned, creeping carefully away from the battle that was still fighting. He went carefully and slowly, trying to ensure that no one would see them as they made their way away from the area. When he reached the edge of the flower field he picked up his pace into a trot and made his way carefully into the trees that lined the edge of the field, heading into the forest.

It was obvious that the boy wasn't keen on the idea of going into the wilderness here, and especially not with the strange creature he had only just met. His hands tightened around Prompto's neck, and the Thunderdog immediately stopped, not wanting to make him more nervous than he was. It was then that the black dog decided to make an appearance, wagging its tail at the boy and motioning the Thunderdog forward again. The boy paused, looking up.

"Umbra?" he asked. The dog barked and wagged its tail, making the boy's brows knit together. "You want me to go with him? Okay..."

Prompto quickly made his way into the forest again, following the path the black dog took as it led them farther in. The boy on his back seemed to finally relax and laid his chin on Prompto's shoulder, trusting him to take him to where he would be safe for a while at least. They reached a small clearing where there was a small log that they could shelter in the shade of, but the dog was no where to be seen. Shaking his head and deciding he had to worry about the boy more than disappearing dogs, he laid down carefully and let the boy slide off.

He made a whimpering noise, curling up against the Thunderdog's side and pressing his back against him. As he did, Prompto became aware of the long scar along the boy's back, with stitches still in it. He didn't know where he'd gotten the wound from, but it was obviously what had pained the boy so much and made it hard for him to walk. Exhausted, but far more alert, Prompto laid his head on his paws again, scanning the tree line.

After a long while, the boy's fit of pain seemed to pass, and he calmed. Feeling the creature up against him seemed to make him relax a little, as if he was less afraid of being out in the wilderness with the young MT near. The silence continued for a long while, and Prompto found himself carefully listening for the sounds of battle or of approaching feet. Finally forgetting his fear, the boy stirred a little.

"So, you're a MT?" he asked.

"Yeah," Prompto replied. "Didn't like it much though. I never liked fighting, and they considered me defective."

"De-defective?" the boy asked, testing the word. "That means...they didn't like the way you turned out? Why?"

"Because I had my memories," Prompto replied. "And I rather like humans. There was a girl that...was rather nice to me before all of this. So since I was still nice to people they thought I was defective." He laughed a little humorlessly. "I guess I was born defective. I mean… have you ever seen a Thunderdog so small, or this color?"

"I think its kind of cool," the boy replied.

The boy's words made the young creature pause a moment, feeling touched and confused at the same time. It was the first time he had a voice to say the words he'd wanted to, and he found himself regretting not being able to tell Tia, or any of the hunters had had previously lived with, these things before their paths had been painfully parted. Slowly, Prompto raised his head and turned to look at the dark haired boy laying on the forest floor next to him. He could see his eyes shining as he looked up at him through his hair, watching him with interest. Prompto let out a whine without meaning to as he looked at the boy.

"Are you sad?" the boy asked, struggling to try and sit up before groaning and settling down again. Ignoring his pain, he seemed more concerned with the creature he was sitting next to. "Wh-Why?"

"No one's really..." Prompto said sadly. "said something like that in a long time. And when she did..."

"The girl who took care of you?" the boy asked. Prompto nodded sadly.

"She took care of me even when everyone else was scared of me," he said. "And now, people are even more scared of me because I'm a MT."

"Well," the boy said thoughtfully, before smiling a little. "Then I'll take care of you, okay? So you don't have to look so scared all the time. I'm sure everyone will understand. My dad's really nice."

"Wh-What?" Prompto asked with wide eyes.

As touched as he was by the offer, he couldn't help but remember how people had responded to him before when he had been a daemon instead of a MT. Tia's father and mother had only let the girl keep him because she had been sick and dying of a disease and expected her to be gone in a few weeks. Only she hadn't. It was as if being with Prompto had brought life back to her. They still didn't trust him, they never did, but they accepted his presence after a long time of hard work and hadn't tried to throw him out.

But a MT? People thought of them as even more soulless than daemons, and he couldn't see this boy's father letting him keep a "pet" like him anyway. And who was "everyone" that he had said? The young creature was almost sure that he wasn't talking about the people he'd seen at the manor back there. His accent was off, as if he hadn't lived in the Empire for a long time. It brought up the question as to why the boy had been targeted at all if he wasn't from here.

"My name is Noctis," the boy continued, as if not hearing the shocked exclamation before. "Noctis Lucis Caelum. Do you have a name?"

"U-Uh," Prompto said. "Yeah. It's...Prompto." He was aware of how strange the name was, made up from a child's mind. It had gotten some teasing when he had been a daemon. Noctis however, just nodded as if it all made sense.

"You have a human form right?" he asked. "Some MT's can transform into their daemon forms. Can I see yours?"

Prompto paused a moment, before nodding and standing, taking a step away from the boy. Carefully, he concentrated on changing his body's structure until he retook his human form. Only being a seven year old child in body, he wasn't allowed much outside of the citadel in Nifilheim. He wore a simple black shirt and shorts, not much different from the simple outfit that Noctis was wearing. He was small, smaller even than Noctis, and had freckles running across his nose. His eyes were a dark brown, almost green color, and his blonde hair that framed his face and hid his eyes a little.

Frowning, Prompto noticed Noctis struggling to turn to see him. He carefully scooped the boy up by his arm pits and helped him up into a sitting position. Shuddering a little, Noctis held onto Prompto for a long moment until the pain had passed. Once it had, he blinked and looked up, taking in Prompto's appearance. A smile spread over the boy's face as he saw the tiny creature in front of him, and Prompto quickly looked away, feeling shy suddenly.

"See?" Noctis said. "You're not so scary. You should stay in this form more often! Then people won't be so scared of you if you look like them."

"Y-You really think so?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah," Noctis said with a bright smile. "I mean, you saved me, right? So you can't be bad. Now, I'll save you."

Prompto quickly turned around, trying not to let Noctis see him crying. He managed to fight the tears back, but his eyes still became misty in the process. He felt Noctis lay a hand on his shoulder, no doubt trying to be as comforting as possible, but wincing all the same. After a few moments, Prompto managed to reign his emotions mostly under control. He took a shaking breath, which Noctis didn't seem to hold against him. Prompto wasn't sure Noctis even understood how much that acceptance had touched him. Still, he doubted that it would go like Noctis thought it would. Even so, he wanted it to. He wanted to belong somewhere.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

"Don't worry about it," Noctis said kindly.

Prompto opened his mouth again to speak, but then immediately paused and bristled. He could hear several people running their direction, no doubt looking for Noctis. He couldn't be sure if they were friend or foe though, and he found himself feeling more protective of the boy behind him. Immediately he dropped to all fours and changed forms, making Noctis behind him jump in surprise. Snarling, the young MT watched the treeline in case someone strange would appear.

The person who stepped through made Prompto pause and raise his head a little. It was the blonde girl from before, who blinked upon seeing him, but then smiled and immediately began making her way towards them. The boy with silver hair was just behind her, who bristled upon seeing the creature. Prompto felt himself tensing as the boy reached for his sword. He knew that look, the look of a man wanting to kill him without asking questions because of what he looked like. The girl quickly held up her hand to stop him, making both the MT and the boy pause.

"Lunafreya," the boy hissed. "Come back. That creature is dangerous!"

"No, Ravus," the girl answered in a voice that was gentle, but commanded attention at the same time. She smiled instead at Prompto, coming closer and extending a hand to him. When he didn't move, she smiled and ran her hand over the soft fur. "He's not. He's the answer to my prayers. I asked the gods to send someone to help Noctis, and they did. This is who we got."

"A daemon?" Ravus scoffed. "Forgive me for not believing that the gods would send a blight on this world to help us." Lunafreya just smiled and continued to pet Prompto, who slowly sat and allowed her to pet him.

"Prompto's not a daemon," Noctis suddenly said in defense of his new friend. "He's a MT."

"That makes it worse," Ravus growled, eying Prompto like he was going to attack them. "He's probably working for the Empire as we speak! He'll catch us off guard and take you away. Your highness, perhaps we should-"

"Prompto wouldn't do that," Noctis insisted. "Umbra led him out here, and he's been with me the whole time."

Ravus frowned now, his eyes flicking between Prompto, Lunafreya and Noctis, narrowing a little as he thought. As nervous as the man made him, he couldn't help but be surprised at his choice of words. Calling Noctis "highness" meant that he was of high stature, right? That meant that he was of a royal bloodline, correct? Now, even less sure that Noctis would be able to convince anyone to allow him to keep Prompto around, the creature lowered its head a little. Lunafreya however just continued to pet him for a while.

"So," she said. "your name is Prompto?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly, seemingly to Ravus's surprise. Lunafreya's smile widened.

"I see," she said. "Thank you for looking after Noctis. The gods must favor you if you've made it this far. You've had a long journey."

Prompto jerked up in surprise, his eyes widening at her words. He met her eyes, which weren't scared of him or deceitful. She just continued to smile and began petting him again when he had calmed down, though Ravus reached for his sword at the sudden motion. Now Prompto was confused and felt a little wary. How could she possibly know that he had been taking a long journey? He wanted to snap at her, or at the very least pull away. Only, he didn't. The feeling was gone as soon as it had calm, as if he just knew he could trust her.

"My name is Lunafreya Nox Fleuret," she said. "and I am the Oracle." This surprised Prompto even more. She was supposed to be the powerful girl who healed others with her powers over light alone? She was so young! "Noctis was injured after an attack on his mother, and his father sent him here to recover. He is of the line of Lucis, the kings of Insomnia, and he is the chosen king that will bring light back into our world."

"Luna," Ravus hissed. "You can't just give that kind of information away!"

"Why not?" she asked, looking genuinely perplexed. "He's no danger to us. The gods sent him to help Noctis after all. He should stay with him." Ravus opened his mouth to protest, but paused when another voice joined the conversation, making Prompto jump again.

"She speaks the truth," a woman said. It was the same woman from before, who had asked Prompto to help Noctis and be quiet while doing it. Her eyes were closed now as she smiled pleasantly at the young MT. "The storm beast will not harm the boy, and it was preordained that the chosen king and his beast meet here. This creature is one who will share the king's journey, and may yet have a chance to aid him in more ways than even he can know."

An uneasy silence fell, and Lunafreya withdrew her hand, turning instead to look at the older boy, who continued to frown as he looked at Prompto closely. The MT could see his mouth pulled into a tight line as he watched and waited for any signs that he was going to attack or prove any danger. For a long while, nothing happened, and the young swordsman finally growled and turned away, looking back towards the mansion.

"I don't care," he said. "I don't trust him."

"Gentiana is a messenger of the gods," Lunafreya said with confusion on her face. "She does not lie."

"He's coming back with me," Noctis added with a frown.

"You two don't get it," Ravus snarled at them, then he let out an unhappy and reluctant sigh. "But I can see there's no arguing with you two. Fine. You can bring him back with us. But don't come crying to me when he attacks you one day."

With that, Ravus was gone, storming back towards the castle. Prompto found himself both confused and annoyed by his attitude, though it was similar to so many before him. Glancing towards where Gentiana had appeared, he noticed her gone again as if she had never been there before, not even a blade of grass bent out of place by her passing. She was supposedly a messenger of the gods, so he couldn't be too surprised. Still, why would the gods favor him? Why would they think he needed his help at all? Why was Noctis so important, and why had he decided to help him?

"Do not worry," Lunafreya said soothingly to Noctis. "Prompto is not evil. I can sense it. He is also filled with blessed light. Perhaps that is why he is so different from others of his race."

"I know," Noctis said with conviction, turning to Prompto. "I trust you, Prompto. I do."

"Then let us return to the manor," Lunafreya said with a smile.

Prompto, too surprised by the day's events but with no where else to go, didn't move as Lunafreya moved to help Noctis back onto his back. After all, without Ravus's help they would need someone to carry Noctis back to the manor. He shook his head, as if doing so would wake him up from the strange dream he'd found himself in. Of course, no such thing happened, so he settled instead for following Lunafreya back towards the mansion as she smiled and chatted to Noctis, who was perched on his back, wincing as his sore back pulled. At least the two were smiling now, seemingly perfectly happy with his presence.

If this was an omen for things to come…

Prompto was glad that he had this moment of happiness at least.

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 **Foreshadowing perhaps? Oh yes, yes it is. You guys better be ready with some tissues, because I fully intend to break your hearts as this story progresses. As for why Prompto is the way he is, why he is full of "blessed light" and how this is going to effect the story, well I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out.**

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 **Unfortunately, my updates tend to be rather sporadic. I update when I have time and when I have inspiration. Have fun with that.**


	2. Angels Fall

**Well, I didn't get any comments, but I was certainly surprised by the number of people have already apparently been interested in my story even despite my horrible attempts at a summary. It would be easier if this site let us use longer descriptions, but I guess it kind of makes sense why they keep it short.**

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 **Anyway, thanks to everyone who has been interested so far int the story, and for all the favorites and follows I've already gotten. Since I've got time and the inspiration for it, I guess I'll just continue on and update the next chapter since you guys seem to like the story so much. As always, feel free to leave me a review below.**

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Chapter Two: Angels Fall

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Two months passed before the pup was really aware of where the time had gone. He truly found himself happy and at ease with both Lunafreya and Noctis, though Ravus he avoided. As the young Prince had promised, staying in his human form tended to get people to like him more and made them less afraid of them. In fact, if visitors didn't know that he was a MT, they usually didn't even expect it. A few even confused his fair complexion and hair as making him a younger brother to Lunafreya, to which her older brother Ravus was not amused.

To say that Noctis had recovered was practically an understatement. While the death of his mother still often haunted him, it was obvious that being around Lunafreya and his new friend had brought him back out of his shell as quickly as he had withdrawn into it. His reaction to the young Thunderdog's presence surprised Prompto, since most people ran as far away as possible when they realized what they were holding a conversation with.

Lunafreya however explained that it was because he was full of a power of light not unlike her own. While he had apparently been born with this light, which is what had begun to cause his strange fondness for humans and coloration, it had somehow only grown stronger in the process of becoming a MT, which was something he didn't talk about. It was painful and frightening to remember, and Noctis and Lunafreya had quickly learned to leave the subject untouched.

Still, he had grown accustomed to living indoors again, not sleeping on the floor but living like a human child unlike a young pup. He had grown used to eating with people like they did, in playing games with the young Prince and Oracle, and just growing used to the idea of acting like a person instead of a daemon. It had changed his reactions to things drastically. Even in human form, he no longer growled or yelped, using his voice instead to make more human like noises. The only thing that could give away that he was not human was the fact that he was rather socially awkward in many situations.

Being a MT had given him quite the eye for detail, and he was able to tell Noctis's mood from some distance away. Along with that, his own natural senses as a Thunderdog were beginning to come in. The most prevalent of those were, of course, his nose and his ability to sense how dangerous people, situations, or areas were becoming. This often kept the young Prince out of trouble, though the Empire hadn't bothered the young Prince again. Perhaps they feared war, or perhaps they were waiting. Either way, Prompto was glad because it meant his young friend was safe.

Prompto had become very fond of the young Prince, who continually treated him like a friend instead of a servant or a monster. He often invited Prompto to join him and Luna even though the servants and her elder brother protested his proximity to them. The young Thunderdog, already being a creature that naturally ran in packs, had become quickly loyal to Noctis and hardly let him out of his sight, often helping him attempt to walk or being near in case he fell. Soon, without Prompto noticing it, the boy no longer needed to hold onto his beast like form just to walk.

However, talks of Noctis returning to his father were something that snapped Prompto back to reality and made him nervous again. Noctis was determined that Prompto was going to come with him back to Insomnia, out of the reach of the Empire that had hurt his friend so badly. The Thunderdog however was less sure that the king would be happy to allow a beast to hang around with his son anymore. Nervously sitting to the side, he watched as Noctis and Luna discussed the subject.

"I'm going to miss you, Luna," Noctis said, a little wistfully. It was plain to see that the two had grown extremely close over the year he had been here. "But, I'm going to have to go home again. I wonder how Iggy and Gladio are doing?" Luna smiled and glanced towards Prompto in the corner.

"Keep him close," she told him. "He will help you."

"Of course Prompt's coming with me," Noctis replied, grinning at his friend. "He's my best friend. There's no way I'm leaving him here." The smile faded from his face quickly as he noticed the Thunderdog's frown. "What's wrong?"

"Do you," Prompto finally managed, quietly enough that the two almost didn't hear him. "do you think they'll try to separate us?"

"No way," Noctis immediately denied. "I won't let them!"

"I have already sent word to the king," Luna said reassuringly. "He has already been made aware of your circumstances. He wishes to meet you, Prompto. After all, its not often you find a daemon favored by the gods."

"You talked to dad?" Noctis asked Luna, seeming surprised. She smiled.

"Of course," she replied. Noctis grinned and turned back to Prompto.

"See?" he said. "Luna took care of it. So you can come home with me, okay?"

Prompto found himself at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say to that? He could go with Noct? What if he managed to mess up this chance and they threw him out anyway? What if Insomnia was worse than the Empire? He'd heard stories from Noctis about how great his home was, but that was for humans. He wasn't sure what to do, but he did know that he was almost desperate to not be separated from his young friend.

Noctis, frowning, patted the seat next to him, indicating to Prompto that he wanted him to sit next to him. He quickly changed into his daemon form, crossing the space between them and sitting down with a huff next to the prince. Immediately he could feel both Luna and Noct running their hands through his soft fur, which they had almost always seemed fascinated with doing. He supposed that they probably didn't get the chance to pet a daemon very often, even if he was technically a MT now. And he had to admit that he liked the feeling of it.

Maybe if he had lived a normal life, had been born a normal Thunderdog, he would have been appalled and angry at the thought of anyone treating him like he was nothing more than their pet. Now however, he supposed that was the life that he had always lived. He didn't mind letting them pet him, though his pride kept him from showing how much he enjoyed it. He could tell from Noctis and Luna's giggles behind his head though that they could read him enough to tell.

"Why don't you just ask if you like to be pet so much, mutt?" Noctis laughed.

"Mutt?" Prompto asked, sounding offended.

"Well," Noctis explained with a grin still on his face. "You're a MT, so you have a human and daemon form. So you're a mutt." Prompto paused, thinking about it, before baring his fangs in a smile and beginning to laugh as well.

"You got me there," he said. "I guess I am a mutt."

Hearing that Prompto was at least joking around with them again, if not the one making bad jokes, seemed to assure Noctis that his friend was practically back to normal. The boy's grin grew and he continued to stroke the Thunderdog's head as he and Luna continued their chat. Prompto was soon lost in his own thoughts, practically elated at the fact that he might at least get the chance to stay with Noctis. To be honest, he wasn't sure where else he could even go if he wasn't with his friend. And having Noctis call him his best friend...if Prompto had a tail, it would be wagging.

After a long while, the door to the bedroom opened, admitting a tall man. He had wide shoulders and his eyes looked severe, though not unkind. Rather he looked like the kind of creature that had seen countless battles and would see many more. His skin was darker than the people he had seen before, though he was by no means dark skinned. His hair was cut short and brown, well trimmed, and his brown eyes were watching the scene with interest.

They landed on Prompto the longest, as if sizing him up. Prompto met his eyes and didn't move under his scrutiny, guessing this was one of his first tests. The man reeked of danger, but a firm kindness as well. He was a soldier, of that the young MT was sure, and he'd his fair share of battles and then some. As the man continued to stare him down, Luna and Noctis finally seemed to notice his presence, both watching the man warily, as if waiting for his judgment as well.

"So," the man said in a powerful voice, perhaps not in sound alone, but because of experience. "this is the Prince's infamous pet. A Thuderdog, huh?"

"His name's Prompto," Noctis said, his eyes flashing protectiveness, which the man didn't miss. "and he's a MT, not a pet. He's my friend, Cor."

Cor's eyes flicked towards the young Prince, before returning to Prompto. It took nearly all of his willpower to fight his instinct and not flee from the man's gaze. He wanted to stay with Noctis, and he was willing to do anything he could to prove it. The stern man again met Prompto's gaze, watching him for a long moment. He didn't have any visible weapons, but he was almost sure that he could soon get some in his hands, even if the Thunderdog didn't understand how. The corner of the man's mouth lifted a little in a smirk.

"You've got good eyes," he said to him. "Prompto, was it? You really want to stay with him, that badly?"

"Yes," Prompto replied instantly, making the man nod.

"Then you make sure to watch his back," the man warned. The Thunderdog just nodded, relieved that this man at least wasn't going to drag him away at the first chance he got.

Prompto felt Noctis's hands slip around his neck as he pushed up off the bed. The motion was stiff, and he certainly wasn't fully recovered, but it was enough for him to walk on his own and to be able to move without aid. However, once he had gotten to his feet, one of his hands remained on Prompto's neck as if to assure him that he wasn't going anywhere without him. Cor's brow raised at this, but Lunafreya soon stood and gave a quick bow of her head to the man. Cor returned it.

"Please," she said, her voice one of the gentlest tones he'd ever heard her use. "Allow Prompto to stay by Noctis's side. He is more than he seems."

"How so?" Cor asked, all seriousness now.

Instead of answering right away, Luna turned and smiled to Prompto, holding her hand out towards his nose. Confused as to what she was doing, but trusting her, he turned his head and pressed his nose into her hand. A link of power seemed to flow through the two of them between the contact that they'd just created, and Prompto's eyes widened at the soft and warm feeling it produced. Light began to flow as the contact prolonged, making even Noctis turn with surprised eyes to the scene.

Cor's eyes narrowed, though not dangerously, as he watched this strange occurrence. Luna continued to smile, and Prompto was beginning to become aware of her mind. It was as if a strange, unseen and unheard melody was playing through it, slowly becoming stronger as they remained touching. The light was growing steadily brighter as well. But then Luna pulled her hand away and everything returned to normal. A little startled, Prompto shook his head and snorted, almost like a horse.

"He is full of light," Luna continued to explain. "not darkness as the rest of his kind. He may be a MT, as well as a daemon, but he walks in the daylight and is far kinder than any other being like him. Even the gods have given him their approval."

"The gods have?" Cor asked, seeming more interested now. Luna nodded with another smile. This time as she reached out to pet him, Prompto didn't become a living night light.

"They have," she replied. "As you know, Noctis was attacked under our watch. As I prayed to the gods for help, Prompto came and carried him out of harm's way. He was the answer to my prayers."

"Yeah," Noctis said, not seeming to quite understand what was being said but feeling the need to defend his friend anyway. "He saved me, and he was hurt really badly by the Empire. So I decided I was going to save him." Cor's eyes flicked towards Noctis, softening just slightly for the first time since he'd entered the room.

"I see," he said.

The man turned his back on them, looking thoughtful as he sat there, crossing his arms and seeming to just stare at the far wall. Noctis glanced at Luna, who just smiled at him, and Prompto could feel his hand tighten uncertainly on the fur on his back. If Prompto hadn't been as "tame" as he was, he probably would have gotten more nervous at the feeling and maybe even snapped at the young prince. There were plenty of stories of "tamed" daemons and monsters, even ones like Chocobos, who would do the same when the energy was felt. Prompto however was anything but normal and only flicked his ear in response to the pressure. Cor nodded to himself, then turned again.

"We'll be late if we stay any longer, your majesty," Cor said, then gave him a small smile. "And bring your MT along."

"You mean, you'll let him stay?" Noctis cried happily.

"Who am I to refuse the call of the gods?" the man replied, turning and making his way down the hall to where Noctis had his bags all packed.

Prompto blinked, returning to his more human form as Noctis happily chatted with Luna. Nearly immediately though Noctis had thrown an arm around both him and Luna, wincing a little as the sore muscles along his back pulled. He was grinning from ear to ear though, looking more excited than ever with the news that Cor was going to let his friend stay with him. Even the young MT felt a smile on his face despite the knot his stomach was currently trying to tie itself into.

"You'll finally going to get to see Insomnia," Noctis said happily. "You won't have to worry about the Empire there, and you'll meet everyone else."

"Yeah," Prompto replied. "I suppose I will." Then, as usual, he couldn't help but make another quip. "Hey, think maybe you should invest in a shock collar? Wouldn't want you to lose me after all." Noctis laughed.

"A shock collar wouldn't work on you," he said. Prompto grinned back.

"I guess it wouldn't," he said.

Cor poked his head in the room, seeming to pause a moment at surprise at the tiny boy now standing in the room where the daemon had been a few moments ago. He didn't seem to take long to recover however, and just shook his head. Prompto wasn't sure, but he might have seen some amusement on his face, though his severe eyes almost made him rethink that.

"Come, highness," the man called. "The car's waiting."

Noctis visibly winced at the thought of having to sit in a car for that long, knowing that it was probably going to hurt a whole lot. Still, he grinned and said goodbye to Luna, lingering in the room for a long moment. Soon he was hurrying off down the hallway after the man, and Prompto paused a moment. Luna embraced him once, then smiled and motioned for Prompto to follow his young Prince. Prompto gave her a grin, then rushed off after the dark haired boy.

His prince?

Yes, he'd die for Noctis. He cared for him that much. Noctis was his best friend after all, and he would always be loyal to him for that.

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 **And there's the end to that chapter. It was shorter than the first chapter, but I added in a whole time skip so I didn't doubt that it would be shorter. There will be a couple more of these until we reach the main part of the story, which will be similar to the game, but different as well. And well, you'll still need your tissues.**


	3. Fight Within

**MORE TIME SKIPS! Well, this one won't be as long, but there's definitely a time skip here. We'll get to meet several important characters for later in this chapter, including Gladiolus, Ignis, and King Regis. Basically, we're starting to set up the story now, at least with some introductions.**

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 **This story is going to have a whole bunch of OC's in it, mostly because of the nature of the AU I'm planning on having. Also, I am definitely planning on having other stories in a series of this. If that confuses you, don't worry. We'll all be confused when we get there.**

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Chapter Three: Fight Within

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Prompto was far too aware of the hand that was gripping his leg too tightly. Every bump the car went over in the road made Noctis wince again and grip the tiny boy's leg tighter. Even so, Prompto didn't make a single noise in complaint or visibly respond to it. When Noctis closed his eyes and shuddered, Prompto finally allowed himself to wince, which drew Cor's attention from the movement alone. He glanced back, noticing the reason for Prompto's pain, and admiration flashed in his eyes as Noctis looked up at him again.

"Your highness," Cor said simply. "perhaps you should move your hand. You're going to bruise Prompto's leg at this rate."

Noctis looked down in surprise, finally seeming to notice the pressure he had applied to his friend's leg. He quickly pulled his hand away before he did any more damage, guilt flashing on his face suddenly as he noticed the bruise already forming past the edge of his shorts. Prompto noticed how nervous the driver once again looked though he continued on route as he was asked. Cor on the other hand, was watching Prompto quietly, as if trying to read his reaction.

"Why didn't you say something?" Noctis asked. "Are you okay?" Prompto just shrugged.

"I've had worse injuries," he said. "I used to work with Hunters."

"With Hunters?" Cor asked, far more interested now.

"Yeah," Prompto replied. "I couldn't do much. Too small. But I'd work with groups and help those who got lost. I could only help at night at the time, but I've had worse injuries."

Cor's brow raised again, but he turned back towards the front of the car, deciding to spend the last of the ride in silence. Noctis still looked unhappy, but he seemed to accept Prompto's words and didn't seem to think that he was going to lie to him. It was obvious however that he still felt bad for it, but spent a few long minutes of the ride quietly staring out the window, as if he couldn't bring himself to look at his friend sitting next to him in the back seat.

Prompto's attention was quickly diverted however by the large gates and imposing walls that were opening up to allow the car inside. A dome like wall rose high overhead, nearly invisible to his eyes and so most likely not seen by human eyes, blue in color and made of individual disks that helped to protect the city under its wings. This was the Crown City of Insomnia, Noctis's home. And honestly, Prompto was unsure if he was ready to face the people within.

Fascinated as he was by the buildings flashing past and the various shops and such, he slid down in the seat a little, refusing to look out the window anymore and focusing instead at his feet, as if finding the human like appendages far more interesting than he did anymore. He'd had them for a while now and had gotten quite used to them, but it didn't mean that he was at ease in the situation he'd found himself in. Noctis quickly noticed his friend's distress, and offered him a calming smile. Prompto just barely managed one back.

Maybe Noctis thought that he was afraid of being in such a large city, but it honestly was smaller than the citadel that had made up the capital city of the Empire. That being his only experience with large cities however certainly hadn't made it any easier to convince himself to come here. Still, if there was one person here he'd trust, it would be Noctis. He said it was fine, so he was going to trust him and follow him here, no matter how uncomfortable it made him. Still, the car pulled to a stop far sooner than the young MT would have liked.

Cor was the first out of the car, stepping out and motioning the Crown's Guard to push back the various press members and make way for the king. Prompto chanced to look up at the man, who was everything he had probably expected from the king of a place like Insomnia. He was tall and regal, standing with a strong build and a firm hand. His gaze was resting on the black car, but not for his son. He could see the man's cobalt eyes searching for any sign of the creature that the Oracle herself had recommended come with her son. His hair was combed back over his head a dark black color that was slowly fading to gray.

There was strength in him yet, but Prompto's daemon instincts had nearly instantly kicked in. He could see that the king was weakening, though from the strain of what, he wasn't sure. He wore all black with golden chains and beautifully stitched garments. On his hand was a black ring, that to the young creature's eyes seemed to glow in the same pale light that made up the barrier overhead. Whatever it was, it spoke of power. Yet, as the king's eyes finally landed on Prompto they seemed to soften just slightly. Kindness? For him? Prompto slowly slid up out of the seat again, peering more fully at the man who now had his attention.

Cor opened the door for Noctis, nodding to Prompto as well. Everything was largely silent as imposing figures covered the path, pushing the press and curious on lookers back as well as watching the car. No, watching him would be more accurate. His gaze was drawn to the back of the young Prince however as he stood, obviously struggling a little but trying to make it seem as though he was fine. Prompto winced a little as the cheer outside reached his sensitive ears, now that people could see that their prince was finally able to stand again, some calling it a miracle of the Oracle. The Prince turned back to the car however, and motioned the pup to follow him.

Prompto paused, his eyes darting around the large crowd. The last time he had been near so many people...well it hadn't ended well. He was loathe to get out now and be in the middle of the spot light. However he was aware he couldn't hide, and even though he sensed danger all around his prince was beckoning him. He trusted Noctis with his own life. Carefully he scooted over and followed Noctis back out into the street, painfully aware of the sudden silence that had fallen over the crowd, the way the guards were watching him as if he was going to become a raging monster in an instant. Cor motioned one nervous man wearing the black uniform back while shaking his head. Prompto kept his eyes on the ground in front of him.

Prompto could almost swear he heard the light breeze that was blowing through the area and the people around him breathing as everyone seemed to size him up. Someone was making their way over to him, looking down at him. They stopped in front of him, just watching. Feeling eyes on his forehead, but not unkind ones, he finally rose his gaze until he found himself looking right into the eyes of Noctis's father, King Regis. This act seemed to anger several members of the royal guard, though Cor's menacing gaze was keeping them back. For a long while, nothing happened.

"Show me what you are," the king said simply. It was an order, but a quiet and kind one, as if knowing that the pup might spook.

Prompto found himself unable to ignore the man's orders as much as he was unable to ignore Noctis's requests. Nearly immediately he instinctively changed his body's structure, falling to all fours and morphing into the creature that had once been his daemon form. It wasn't a wholly unpleasant looking transformation, though it perhaps gave people the impression of being painful because of the winces he caught several people giving him out of the corner of his eyes. Standing to his full height, the Thunderdog silently looked up at the king of Insomnia.

However, seeing the dangerous daemon now standing in the middle of their city, several protests began to ring out, making Prompto tense. It wasn't to fight, no he'd rather run away without hurting anyone. Despite the cruel was people had treated him upon seeing what he was, he was still fond of humanity and didn't want to hurt anyone. Not that they knew this. Mothers pulled their children to the safety of their arms, fathers stepped forward to protect their family. The king held up a hand, and silence once again fell.

"There's no reason to be afraid of this pup," Cor called in his loud and commanding voice, making several people, including Prompto, jump. "The Oracle herself has deemed him a worthy companion to our Prince. In fact, I saw myself the reason for this. Instead of being full of darkness like others of his kind, he is full of light, which reacted powerfully with the Oracle's own. If he was any danger to us at all, do you truly believe she would have allowed him safe passage?"

His words seemed to spark some sort of conversation, which began to spread slowly towards the young pup as he stood there, listening. Most were disbelieving, others discussing what it could mean. Most were stubbornly silent or shocked. Even the Crown's Guard started to shift uneasily on their feet, looking at one another or towards Cor, who continued to glare at them, as if challenging them. The king however is what held Prompto's gaze.

His eyes looked sad as he watched his son step protectively closer to the pup, even (to the crowd's unease), laying a hand on his neck. Then his eyes turned to Prompto, and he saw the same sadness directed at him. Why was he looking at him like that? The eyes of the MT told Prompto that he knew something. He never missed a single detail, so he was relatively sure he could trust his own eyes. Then, to his surprise, the King raised his hand over the pup's nose, drawing silence again.

"Show me this power then," he told the pup quietly.

Prompto blinked, unsure how to do that. He'd only ever been able to do it the few times Luna had called the power forth for him. Nervously he nodded, knowing that everyone was watching him and waiting for him to do something. He closed his eyes, concentrating on what had happened when Luna had called forth his so called power, reaching for that warmth and softness within himself. Inspiration took him, and he reached his nose up, touching the king's hand, and the cold metal of the ring that sat on his hand.

The king stiffened slightly, not enough to be noticed by anyone but perhaps Cor or any eagle eyed observers, but he didn't pull away from the pup. Reaching far into his own mind, Prompto found the light he was looking for and gently seized it in his jaws, becoming immediately aware of the light that the king and the ring itself held within themselves. The king's eyes turned to the pup in surprise when he felt his mind, and Prompto nearly shied away from him, but the king's gentle mind coaxed him to finish whatever it was he had been doing. Curiously, the pup reached out and touched the light within the ring, noticing that it was connected to something of pure light.

A stone? No, perhaps a crystal was more correct. It felt ancient, full of power far beyond his own, and he could sense that it had...almost a consciousness of its own. It tensed, as if to attack the intruder, before seeming to become curious and flashing forward suddenly. Now Prompto visibly tensed as the crystal combed through his mind in a matter of seconds, looking at all of his memories. Then it was gone in a flash, seemingly content with what it had found. Its light latched onto his own, gently siphoning some of the power away.

It didn't leave him weak, but he could definitely feel it pulling on his strength. He might have been more nervous, if not for the king's assurances and the light's playful twirling, as if happy to be united with the crystal. He reasoned silently that it was most likely not unlike the strength he had when running. While it may leave him weak, unless he pushed himself past his own breaking point it would most likely be no threat to him and return with rest.

He opened his eyes, looking up towards the barrier above him, feeling the crystal moving his own energy towards that very purpose. The king's eyes followed him up, and soon both Noctis and Cor had turned their attention upwards as well, looking for what had grabbed their attention. The ring, just above Prompto's nose, flashed suddenly, before the sound of thunder rent the air. Above them, the barrier that protected the city looked as though white hot lightning sparked over it.

As the lightning reached the farthest walls, the barrier itself glowed a bright yellow, not unlike the color that Prompto's fur was. A surprised cry went up from the crowd as they looked up towards the sky, watching the proud display above their heads as the gentle light of the king met the wild light of the daemon, creating a beautiful show. From beside him, he heard Cor let out a hum of appreciation and Noctis gasp in wonder.

As soon as it had come, it was gone, and the pup took a step back from the king, releasing his hold on the light within him and ending his connection to the king. The crystal seemed to hold onto him curiously for a long moment more, watching him, before retreating as well. King Regis smiled at the pup, nodding his head to him before turning back to the crowd. Noctis patted the pup's neck, which calmed some of his nerves. It was obvious by the glares he was still receiving from many people in the crowd however, that many still expected some sort of trick.

"Rest assured," the king spoke, calming the outright rage of his people at least. "this creature is no danger to us. Even the Crystal of Lucis has accepted his presence here among us, which is why the barrier has reacted in such a way. He will continue to live among us." Lowering his voice, he turned back towards the pup and his son. "Come."

He turned and began walking inside of the palace, its marble steps and beautiful carvings no longer giving Prompto reason to pause. Noctis flashed his friend a grin before grimacing and taking a step forward, leaving his hand on the pup's neck. Prompto immediately followed, as he'd done countless times before, allowing the Prince to press more of his weight into his side if he so needed or desired to. He didn't, but it was clear that the familiar gesture reassured the prince if the way his hand tightened against his fur was anything to go off of.

The two followed the king into the palace, though Noctis seemed to struggle a little with the stairs. Thinking of the light that Luna had given Noctis before to help him heal, he sent his own light through the physical connection they had. For a moment, he touched Noctis's mind, and was surprised by the utterly brilliant light that he found there. As the contact faded when Prompto pulled away quickly however, the light had seemed to do its work because Noctis grimaced and leaned heavily into Prompto, but made it up the stairs without the offered aid of the Crown's Guard.

Prompto worried however of trying to make it up anymore stairs, and was relieved to find that the palace was about as modern as it could get, allowing for them to step into an elevator. Looking tired and leaning more heavily into Prompto's side, but with his face set into a scowl, Noctis continued to follow his father through long hallways. Finally, reaching one of the uppermost floors, they found the throne room. Here, even Prompto paused to look up at the majestically carved stone. Stairways flowed on either side, and reliefs were carved into the sides of it. Paintings of the gods decorated the walls, making Prompto feel small under their unseeing eyes. After collecting his thoughts however, he followed Noctis as he stepped forward and the king paused, turning to them. Cor, just behind, paused a few feet away, and Prompt could feel his eyes boring into his back.

"Welcome," the King said kindly. "to Insomnia. While you are welcome to live in the city, I cannot assure your safety. There are many who are not too fond of daemons, and with good reason."

"I understand," Prompto replied quietly, not seeming to surprise the king.

"Indeed," he replied, glancing at his son, and then back at the pup. "I must thank you for helping my son, as well as the Oracle. I was informed that your presence seemed to greatly improve his health, mentally as well. Things have...not been the same since the death of my queen and Noctis's mother." Prompt saw Noctis's eyes fall at this mention.

"Your majesty," Cor interjected suddenly, almost making Prompto jump in surprise at his sudden voice. "If I may...perhaps it would be in our best interest not the separate the two. As you said, Prompto has an ability unlike any other. If you were to fall perhaps he could..." The king's eyes looked thoughtful, but also sad as he thought about it.

"Perhaps..." the king began reluctantly. "you may be right. The crystal takes a toll on us, and with two that the crystal may share power with it might relieve some of the burden. And Noctis seems rather fond of him. Very well. Prompto, was it? Guard my son well. Within these walls you will be protected from the populace's wrath."

At this verdict, Noctis seemed to forget some of his exhaustion, and his eyes lit up happily at the news that his friend could stay with him as he had originally thought. Prompto had to admit that he was stunned by the strange events, and if his tail would have been long enough it might have been wagging. As it was, his ears flicked forward at the news, and Noctis managed to stand a little on his own again, as if hearing his father saying those words had rejuvenated him a little bit and given him a bit of peace of mind. The king's eyes were sad again as he continued to look at the young MT, though there was a strange sense of hope there as well.

"That's not why you want me here, is it?" Prompto couldn't help but ask. The king's eyes flashed, but he smiled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied. "Noctis why don't you show Prompto where he'll be staying. The two of you can share a room, if you'd like. I'm sure you'll be able to get comfortable enough with less space."

"Come on, Prompt," Noctis called happily, tugging on Prompto's fur and trying to get him to turn.

Knowing that the Prince wouldn't make it far now without his help again, he turned slowly to make sure he wouldn't fall and let him use him as a living crutch again as he made his way forward. Prompto carefully measured his pace so the Prince would have a smooth a time as possible and wouldn't farther injure his back, but his naturally smooth gait helped that as well. As they stepped out of the room, he heard the king mutter something behind him.

"Observant little thing, isn't he?"

"Perhaps too much so, your majesty."

A frown touched Prompto's face, but he dutifully followed his young Prince to the elevator again. Pressing a button, Noctis took them down a few floors to where the royal family and various close members of the court lived. As the elevator began to slow, he was aware of the bustle of conversation and activity on this floor, his ears already flicking against the noise. As Prompto stepped out of the elevator, the Prince still leaning into him, he was aware of the silence.

The only thing he heard was doors slamming as people rushed away to hide from his sight, and the angry or disbelieving mutterings that came with them until the hallway had mostly cleared. Noctis was frowning, looking over the now almost completely deserted hallway. His eyes brightened when he caught sight of two people older than both of them standing in the hallway, though they immediately darkened again when he saw that the bigger one was glaring at Prompto and the other looked calculating and brooding. Prompto looked up to take in the two of them, wondering how they seemed to know Noctis but knowing he was about to find out.

One was big for his age, as if he spent all of his time working out and trying to get tough. Various scars covered his arms, which were crossed over his chest. He was by no means massive yet, but Prompto could tell that with enough time and the same routine, he would soon grow to be a rather intimidating looking man. He had long dark brown hair, combed back out of his face, and brooding brown eyes. He continued to glare at Prompto.

The other had glasses, which he had pushed up the bridge of his nose as if doing so would give him more of an idea how Prompto was actually going to act. He had sandy brown hair, which was styled up over his head, much unlike the mop of hair that Prompto usually kept cut around his chin. His eyes were a reddish brown color, like the fire the pup saw burning in his eyes. It was a different kind of fire than the other, since he was small and thin, but a fire all the same.

"Noct," the big one warned. "Step away from that thing, its dangerous."

"He is a MT," the second continued in a strange accent Prompto had never heard before. "which means he is unpredictable. The daemon he was obviously born from is even more so."

"I don't think I will," Noctis growled dangerously in a way that made Prompto immediately bristle at the sound his friend had made. This seemed to put the other two boys on edge. "Gladiolus, Ignis, move."

The two seemed to flinch at the use of their names. Obviously, Noctis was one who liked to give out shortened versions of their names as nicknames. These two were unaccustomed to the young prince, who they were obviously fairly close to, calling them by their formal names instead of their nicknames. They seemed unsure if they should follow the order they had just been given, fighting with two warring instincts; keeping their friend safe from the perceived danger or following their prince's orders. Noctis glared at them.

"Listen, Noct," the bigger one began again. "We just don't want you to get hurt."

"And?" Noctis snapped. "Father already said it was fine."

"The king may have said that," Ignis tried. "However reason shows that this is an unstable being with the ability to-"

"MOVE."

Flinching at the raw anger in their friend's voice, the two finally stepped aside as they had been commanded, turning to glare at the floor instead. Sensing the tension in the atmosphere around them, Prompto couldn't help but continue to bristle as Noctis stepped froward. Still leaning heavily into the creature's shoulder, he didn't say a word as he passed the two of them by and managed to make it to the end of the long hall, where his room was.

The room was large enough to house about six people if Noctis had really decided to, and a bed was set up at the end, along with a desk of some kind and a long row of bookshelves and a char and couch for reading. Prompto really didn't see an issue with the room, though there was only one bed in it. He'd be fine sleeping by the large picture window that showed the royal gardens and the grounds below. Besides, he wouldn't feel safe without doing so. What if someone tried to sneak in that way and hurt Noctis?

"Nice place," Prompto said genuinely as he looked around.

"Yeah," Noctis growled as he let go of Prompto and gingerly lowered himself down on the edge of the bed.

Prompto's ears flicked forward as he saw the prince's sour mood. Noctis didn't even look up at him, instead patting the bed next to him. Prompto immediately stood and joined his friend's side, sitting down facing him so the prince, who wasn't looking, wouldn't cut his hand on the sharp blades on his shoulders. Noctis, frowning, began petting the Thunderdog's face.

"Does it really bother you that much?" Prompto asked with a sigh. "Its not like it matters. People have always been scared of me. I'm used-"

"Well you shouldn't have to be," Noctis snapped, then paused. "Sorry. I just...I don't understand why though."

"Maybe because the only version of me you've seen is a cuddly puppy," Prompto joked. This had the desired effect, making Noctis chuckle. Prompto soon became more serious. "But its not like that for most people. My kind were nearly hunted to extinction because people were afraid of them, and for good reason. We're not that strong, but we can use lightning magic and work in large packs. Some of those people might have even seen friends and family killed by Thunderdogs."

"Then why aren't you like that?" Noctis asked, eying his friend.

"I was raised by humans," Prompto shrugged. "and abandoned by my pack, remember? My personality doesn't really seem to fit either. Maybe the gods planned all this. Who knows?"

Noctis thoughtfully leaned back, wincing as his wore back gave him another pang. He finally seemed content to accept the answer that Prompto had given him, though he obviously wasn't happy about what his two friends in the hallway had said. Prompto's ears flicked before he returned to his human form and sat down on the bed next to Noctis, just watching birds flit past the window opposite of them. For a while, no one spoke, until Prompto finally turned back to his friend.

"Is that all that's bothering you?" he asked.

"Its just," Noctis said with a sigh. "I don't want them to treat you like that. Iggy's smarter than that. I know Gladdio's kind of the muscle but...I didn't want you meet them like that, is all. Well, I guess you did. The smaller one's Ignis and the bigger one's Gladdio." He scowled. "But I'm not sure we'll be friends after that."

"Don't ignore them for me," Prompto quickly said. "They were only trying to be good friends. I'm not exactly the best candidate for friendship." Noctis opened his mouth to speak but Prompto cut him off. "I KNOW you know that, and that you know me. But they don't. So give them a chance to get to know me. All right?" Noctis frowned.

"Fine," he growled. He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, obviously trusting his friend to keep watch. As much as that touched him, Prompto couldn't help but chuckle at him.

"You shouldn't nap now," he scolded playfully. "You'll end up getting into the habit."

"Shut up," came the mumbled reply.

The exhausted prince was nearly immediately asleep afterward, making Prompto chuckle yet again. Standing, he carefully turned the prince so he was resting on his side and laying the correct direction on the bed. Then he pulled his shoes off, setting them carefully on the ground next to him and changing into his demon form. Curling up on the ground in front of the bed, he closed his eyes in preparation to taking a nap himself. He couldn't help it that his instinct was still to be nocturnal, or that he needed very little sleep to function at a high level.

It was a strange new world he'd ended up in, but he was willing to walk this path. Besides, it was already a little late to turn back, even if he'd wanted to.

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 **Little bit of foreshadowing there? Yep. Part of the reason Noctis likes to take so many naps is because he doesn't like to leave Prompto awake at night all the time. So he developed some bad sleeping habits because of his nocturnal friend. Or at least, that's why its like this in this fan fiction.**

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 **Thanks again for all the reviews and support you guys have already been giving me. While I probably won't continue updating a chapter a day all the time, I really like this story so far and enjoy writing it.**


	4. Forever is Unbreakable

**Here we go again with chapter four. In this one, we'll get to meet some Oc's from the story, as well as some other characters that will probably pop up more as the story advances. In this one, school is a thing, as well as classes for the future prospects of the Crown's Guard and something that exists in this story known as "Royal Hunters", which Noctis will, of course, be a part of. That's at least part of my explanation for why they go daemon hunting so often. That'll be fun, won't it?**

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 **For the most part though, many characters still don't like Prompto, and they're not going to for a long while. As I said, be prepared with those tissues. I don't know. Some of you might not find my writing pulling at your heartstrings, and other may be crying. Either way, I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

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Chapter Four: Forever is Unbreakable

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It didn't take Noctis long to realize that Prompto didn't like to be touched by other people. Sure, he didn't bite anyone when they tried, and most people avoided him like the plague, but he certainly didn't like to be touched. Whether it was by accident or by curious children, Prompto avoided human contact as much as possible, and especially from those that were female. The truth of that matter was that it was mainly a female scientist who had been over his transformation into a MT, and though he liked humanity, coming into contact with strangers was not on his to do list.

He could trust Tia, if she still lived. She was the one who had given him his life back. He definitely knew he could trust Noctis, who was his constant companion. Lunafreya was the only female he'd never felt not nervous around after his transformation, most likely due to her light and his resonating so well. As for everyone else, well he kept a respectful distance and couldn't keep himself from jumping when someone walked up on him unawares, something that was becoming increasingly common with the Crown's Guard. They were good, he had to admit.

And his aversion to contact wasn't being made any better by the fact that the king had decided to send his son to school again, and sending Prompto along for the ride. Whether the man suspected anything about why Prompto avoided people or not, the teachers at school seemed to have some idea about it. They were careful to not spook him, give him the desk closest to the door and have Noctis sit nearby if he was in the class, and the females especially were careful to not surprise him. He wasn't sure if it was pity on their part, or if it was just because he was a MT with a daemon form and they were scared of him, but it did make the transition easier.

It was the classes that he didn't have with Noctis that were the hardest for him, though he would never tell Noct just how hard they were. They were what made adjusting to life in the city hard for him. He'd never been in a setting like this before, where they weren't constantly being drilled for battle or learning to use a weapon. He was completely out of his element with all of these mundane tasks and formulas, all of which he seemed to excel at. That was probably thanks to the computer parts that made up his brain, added to help him access situations quickly and efficiently. Even here, he couldn't escape what he had been designed to be.

Math class was yet another daily torture for the young MT. While math proved no problem for him, he often wished that he didn't have to put up with it. The children that were in the class, well most ignored him but there were four who were anything but kind to him. He never responded to them much, choosing instead to react silently, if at all, but that only seemed to fuel whatever it was that made them think that they needed to hate him.

Three boys and one girl his age were, as usual, making their way over to him at the edge of the classroom. As the teacher was out and they wouldn't get in trouble for "spooking" him, they were more emboldened than ever. The other students retreated away from him, though Prompto refused to look at them, turning his attention instead back down to his bag, where he had stored all of his "homework" for the day. One of the boys tossed it carelessly across the room, glaring down at him. Not that Prompto reacted to this disruption. Humans were terrifying when they were scared.

"I don't see what's so special about this runt," the first, a brute named Gavin growled. "What makes Prince Noctis so fond of you, huh?"

"Well?" the girl, who would be much prettier if she smiled, Halia, growled. "Aren't you going to say something? Or are you a dumb animal like everyone else says?"

"No use talking to it," the third, a smaller but far more intelligent boy named Yvis snorted. "It won't talk. I don't even think it can."

"Of course," the forth, a thin boy named Mitos added with a sigh. "I won't insult our King or our Prince by saying their stupid for taking you in. You've probably just bewitched them or something. That's what mom says."

Prompto looked up to take in their appearances again today, not making any move to respond to them. Scared humans liked to be cruel despite any good they did in their lives, and it was better to not induce an even more frightened response by trying to speak or reason with them. Prompto had never been mean, ferocious, or wanted to fight, so he simply chose not to. He'd rather let them take it out on him rather than actually hurt them, which could cause even more fear. After what the Empire had already put him through, their teasing and occasional physical attacks were love taps. Besides, Thunderdogs were notoriously adaptable.

Halia had short hair, like most women in the Crown City, cut to about her chin and she had her bangs parted over her left eye. The other was a violet orb that was glaring at her with more intensity than it probably should have been able to hold. Prompto could clearly see that she was afraid of him. Mitos was a thin and pale boy with bright blue eyes and dark brown shoulder length hair that was pulled into low a ponytail behind his head, though his bangs framed his face and hung down to his chin.

Gavin was basically the brawn of the group, though he certainly wasn't as big as Gladiolus was. He had some muscle already on him. He had tanned skin, as if he spent a lot of time outside instead of inside, and his hair was a dark charcoal black. It was cut short, long enough to frame his dark storm gray eyes. Yvis on the other hand, was the palest member of the group, and his hair was strawberry blonde and about shoulder length, framing his face nicely. His eyes on the other hand were a muddy green color, as if the gods could not decide which color they wanted to make them.

Prompto's lack of response, once again, wasn't apparently what they were looking for. They began snarling or frowning at him, as if trying to think of a way to anger him. As one of them began to open their mouths to speak however, the teacher entered the room with another girl close behind. Of course, being the desk closest to the door, meant that the teacher now had a direct view of the four students leaning over him, with his bag on the ground, and having all four of them look like deer in the headlights. Immediately the woman's eyes flashed as she rushed over, staying a few feet away in case Prompto spooked. As it was, her proximity made him shy away from her a little.

"What is this?" she demanded. "So you're the ones who've been trying to scare Prompto."

"Y-Yes but-" Halia began.

"No buts," the woman growled back. "I don't care if he IS a MT, he's still a student in my class. If I so much as hear of you four bothering him again, you'll be answering to me, and Cor."

The threat of the teacher obviously wasn't one that was going to get their attention. She was a rather kind hearted lady that let her students off easy. Cor however, was one that made the entire class wince in sympathy for them, even Prompto. As kind as Cor could be, he was also very strict and wouldn't put up with this kind of thing from anyone. Cor had already made it quite clear that if Prompto felt he wasn't being treated properly, he would take matters into his own hands to ensure that they did. Prompto had never felt hurt enough to even so much as mention that everything wasn't fine to the man. He would feel bad to put those kids through that.

"C-Cor?" Motis gasped.

"That's right," the woman warned again. "Cor. He told me to let him know if I found out who was antagonizing Prompto. Something about he probably wouldn't say himself." Her eyes flicked towards Prompto, interest appearing in them. "Though….honestly I've seen some of the bruises he's gotten. I wonder why he hasn't..."

The four children looked at him with wide eyes, as if disbelieving that he wouldn't sell them out to Cor the first chance he got. Prompto didn't make any move to respond to them, settling instead for simply blinking up at the teacher before standing and retrieving his bag and returning it to his desk. He didn't say a word and didn't even so much a shrug to tell them that he'd heard them at all. It was true that they'd bruised him up a bit, not really all that maliciously. Rather, they shoved him and made him bump against the wall or something, and his human form had such pale skin it was nearly impossible to hide bruises. It had worried Noct, and apparently he'd gone to Cor about it.

But he wasn't going to surrender them to the mercy of that man in good conscious when they hadn't really tried to hurt him. Or maybe, his idea of being hurt was completely different because of the life he'd led up until now. The four hurriedly returned to their seats, and the other girl stepped forward. She was pale and small, definitely younger than him. Her scent was somewhat familiar, though he knew he'd never met her before. Her eyes were a pretty brown, sparkling in a friendly way at him that reminded him of Tia. Her hair was cut short and black, framing her face nicely but not getting in the way. Her friendly advance, unlike most people, didn't make him shy away.

"Are you okay?" she asked, not seeming to mind when he didn't respond and continuing to talk instead. "Prompto, right? You're Prince Noctis's friend. My name's Iris, and you've met my older brother. That would be Gladiolus. He says you're dangerous or something, but you can't be bad if you wouldn't turn those kids in to Cor. I'm a few years younger than you, but I got moved up a few grades because of my grades. Is this desk empty?"

Prompto was aware of the whole class now watching the rather one sided conversation between the MT and the girl who had just come into the class. Not that she needed much introduction after that whole thing, and most of them seemed to recognize her anyway. She was standing there, smiling and pointing to the desk next to him. The entire back row was devoid of students, since no one had apparently even wanted to sit on the same row as him. The girl however was asking to sit next to him? She was definitely different from her older brother, that was for sure. He finally shook his head, and she grinned and claimed the seat.

As she sat down and laid her bag on top of the desk, smiling away, Prompto noticed that the rest of the classroom looked completely floored. He was fairly sure that most of the children here hadn't even been aware that he could communicate at all. They were just staring at him like they'd only just met him again, and then at Iris like she'd sprouted a new head. Either way however, some of the tension that had existed in the air since he'd first arrived in this class seemed to dissipate. He wasn't sure if the other four children would stop bothering him, but he was glad that Iris's company seemed discourage their behavior.

The rest of the class happened to pass by in a relative peacefulness that Prompto hadn't experienced in quite some time. Iris continued to chat away at him despite the fact that he didn't really respond to her, seeming to find his silence perfectly acceptable. Prompto couldn't help but be relieved when the bell rang however, announcing that it was time for lunch and that meant he could finally see Noctis again. As he stood to leave however, Iris was behind him nearly instantly, smiling to herself as she followed him down the hallway. Prompto didn't really see a reason why he should try and make her leave, so he let her be.

Of course, as he rounded the corner and Noctis made his way over, Gladiolus did not look happy to see his little sister anywhere near him. It seemed like Noctis's presence had seemed to make him reluctant to approach the young MT. It hadn't been that long since their first meeting, but it seemed that Noctis still hadn't even tried talking to Ignis or Gladiolus since their last encounter. It didn't exactly sit right with Prompto, though he couldn't exactly pin point why. Maybe it was just because he knew that Noctis and the two boys were good friends. Before Prompto could even attempt to breach the subject however, Iris squealed and ran to hug Noctis, making the MT wince when the sound reached his sensitive ears.

"Noct," she cried. "It's been too long!"

"Uh-huh," Noctis replied warily, eying her as if waiting for her to prove to him that she was dangerous to his friend. "Why were you walking with Prompto?"

"Huh?" she asked, looking confused, before grinning and running back to Prompto, standing on her toes and trowing an arm around his shoulders. Prompto tensed at the unexpected motion, but just blinked. "Oh, that. We had math class together. You heard I was getting moved up right? But uh, well some other kids were picking on him, and he looked lonely so I sat by him."

"What?" Noctis gasped, turning and glaring at Prompto. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't know," Iris responded for Prompto thoughtfully. Ignis and Gladiolus had nervously moved closer at this point, seemingly more interested in the conversation than before. "Mrs. Potts said something about needing to tell Cor, but Prompto hadn't said anything to him."

"To Cor?" Ignis asked in surprise. Noctis frowned but didn't move to send them away, apparently more interested in Prompto's apparent predicament.

"Is that what all of this has been?" he asked Prompto, looking unhappy at the thought. "Why you've been coming home bruised up? Why haven't you done anything?" Prompto shrugged.

"Didn't really see the need to," he replied. Both Gladiolus and Ignis jumped at his voice, as if expecting him to not speak. Right. They hadn't heard him say anything yet.

"Prompto," Noctis growled in a no nonsense voice. "You've been coming home for weeks hurt. How is that not a good reason?"

"We have different definitions of the word 'hurt' apparently," Prompto replied, much to the confusion of the other four children.

"Why?" Iris asked, her question posed innocently enough. He just blinked at her.

"MT," was his reply.

The simple term made all four of them pause, thinking a moment about what he'd been saying. They knew what MTs were, sure. They were machines created from the power harnessed from daemons, or otherwise daemons given human like bodies and sent out to fight for the Empire. They were often forced to fight, and keep fighting until they died. After all, they were easily replaced and they were an infallible army. For the first time, Gladiolus and Ignis seemed to look at him, really look at him. The process of growing a human body in a few months was a painful one, as well as the process of making his genes unstable enough to switch between the two forms at will. That alone had left visible scars that he had never tried to hide. Then the terrible training and battles he had been forced to take part in before he had managed his escape had left other scars.

There was one stretching across most of his chest, visible under his shirt collar and starting just at his collar bone. Countless scars from the experiments and such littered his arms, the back of his neck, and other wounds from battles could be seen across him. Prompto was tough for his size, evident by the fact that he had been wounded in battle but was still alive. If he hadn't mended fast enough for their liking they would have just killed him or abandoned him to die elsewhere. And he didn't like to fight, which wouldn't have helped anything. Sending him out to battles to capture daemons for their experiments was one thing, but he'd never hurt a person.

The four children all shuddered, unable to suppress the strange sense of dread that came along with the almost bitterly matter of fact way he had spoken the term. As if it explained everything without having to explain anything. As if his whole life had been a bad joke he'd just been part of. Iris gave him a pitying glance, which he didn't grace with a response, and Noctis looked almost angry at the thought of what his best friend had already been through in his life. Ignis and Gladiolus just looked largely uncomfortable with the scenario.

"So, that's why, huh?" another voice said. "Should've expected as much."

The unexpected visitor made the other four children jump and Prompto immediately bristle. He was a pack daemon, and though he wasn't exactly close to Ignis, Gladiolus, or Iris, he was ready to defend them. Noctis though, his reaction immediately put Prompto on edge and ready to defend him if he had to. As the man chuckled however, the others recovered from their surprise and Prompto forced himself to relax again, turning to find Cor. The man was good at what he did, and it was nearly impossible for even Prompto to figure out when he was going to pop up. He masked his scent well and was nearly completely silent. No wonder he had survived so long. Cor the Immortal indeed.

"Cor," Noctis sighed. "You surprised me."

"Apologies, highness," the man chuckled. "But I was informed of the situation and came to check on things here. Hm, strange. I didn't think Prompto let other people touch him? And a girl no less." Iris noticed she still had her arm around his shoulders, and quickly let him go. Cor shook his head, though the others seemed confused at this news. "That's not why I'm here though."

"Why are you here?" Ignis asked, cutting right to the chase as usual.

"Classes for the young future members of the Royal Hunters and Crown's Guard are starting again," he replied. "I came to ask if you'd join them."

"The Crown's Guard are supposed to protect the king, right?" Iris asked thoughtfully, glancing at Noctis. "And the future king, of course. Then the Royal Hunters go out and hunt daemons to make sure they're safe from them."

"Correct," Cor replied. "King Regis has asked that Noctis be trained as a Royal Hunter, which is where I come in. And of course, its logical that Prompto be his hunting partner, seeing how he already has experience with it."

This information seemed to surprise all of the children except for Noctis, who had heard the information before and just frowned thoughtfully. Royal Hunters often worked in pairs, fighting against daemons and keeping the other safe or dragging their corpse back to the Crown City after death. The two had to work in almost perfect sync with one another, and Prompto couldn't help but be a little excited at the fact that he could learn to fight like that with Noctis, but also worried. Noctis was still recovering, what if he got hurt?

"Naturally," Cor continued as if he hadn't paused in the first place. "Prompto's own natural abilities as a daemon will certainly help in this case. Iris, I think you'd also make a good candidate for the Royal Hunters. However, I believe Ignis and Gladiolus would make better Crown's Guard material. And, strictly speaking, both Prompto and Iris could eventually join the Crown's Guard as well."

"Wait," Iris said, looking rather stunned. "Prompto's been on Hunts before?"

"Seeing how he originally was taken in by Hunters," Cor replied, glancing at the silent MT. "yes, he has. And there's no way of really knowing how many hunts he took part in as a MT before he fled from the Empire. That's a story for another time, perhaps. The real question here, is all of you are willing to join? I've got several other people to ask, so I can't stick around for long."

The man looked rather impatient to be off, though his eyes were boring into Prompto's forehead. The young MT didn't start under his gaze or move really at all, just waiting for his judgment. The other three children muttered their consent to joining the offered positions, though Gladiolus didn't look happy with the thought of his younger sister putting herself into danger. After seeing that Noctis was ready and willing to try, Prompto quickly nodded his consent as well. Satisfied, Cor nodded and then turned to walk away.

"Meet in the courtyard of the Citadel at four o'clock then," he said. "Don't be late."

With that, the man was walking brusquely down the hallway again, leaving all of them behind. Iris, Gladiolus and Ignis all shifted uncomfortably, but Noctis quickly turned to his best friend, sending him a grin that Prompto returned a smile for. The Prince's enthusiasm was hard for the pup to ignore. Ignis and Gladiolus glanced at one another, before quietly turning to the prince. Noctis, noticing them looking at him, turned and glared at them.

"What?" he snapped, making Prompto immediately bristle again. The two winced.

"Noct..." Ignis began, before falling silent again. Prompto rolled his eyes, nudging Noctis's shoulder. The prince frowned.

"Whatever," he growled. "I'll forgive you, IF you two stop acting like Prompto's trying to kill everyone. He's not dangerous, and he's already saved my life plenty of times." Ignis and Gladiolus looked shocked, as much for the Prince's forgiveness as at the information that he'd apparently even had to save his life.

"W-We'll try," Gladiolus promised, seeming to surprised to even sound reluctant.

"Yeah," Iris added. "Prompto's plenty nice. How would you like to be misunderstood all the time just because how you'd been born?"

Neither Ignis or Gladiolus seemed to have a reply for this, just rubbing the back of their heads sheepishly. Prompto could still tell by looking at the two of them that they still didn't trust him, not one single bit. Not that he could really blame them, looking at all of the things that had been told to them about his kind, daemon or otherwise. Then there were all the rumors floating around, definitely not the kind of thing that made him look any better.

"Just be glad Prompto said I should forgive you," Noctis growled, turning and beginning to walk to the same spot he and the young MT usually sat and ate lunch. Prompto watched him go, not bothering to look behind him at the two boys. "Come on Prompto."

The pup immediately followed his prince, knowing that Noctis probably wasn't going to decompress for a while at least. He was touched that the Prince was so protective of him, he really was, but he didn't want to see the reactions of the two boys behind him at hearing that he was the only reason their friend was willing to forgive them. They were probably furious at him even more, probably thinking he was stealing their friend from them, not to mention he and Noctis were supposed to be partners during hunts, if all went according to Cor's plan. He hurried to catch up with the raven haired Prince, leaving the other three children behind him.

What he didn't see, with his back turned, was the reluctant gratefulness in the eyes of the two boys on his retreating form.

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 **So there was chapter four. Don't worry, we'll eventually get to the part of the story that will be basically game events. Except this is an AU, and so I'm changing practically everything about the story. Heck, even the Prophecy's changing. Why? Because I felt like writing the story this way. That's why.**

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 **As for how Prompto's going to effect the story like this, oh there are lot's of ways. You guys will get to see in time.**


	5. Storm Beast

**Here we go with chapter five. So, I'm not sure how many of you have noticed yet, but I'm still building up Prompto's reputation with others. He actually ends up being pretty famous (or infamous depending on it) for just being a MT, though most people just kind of refer to him like his Noctis's pet. He's actually going to be pretty well liked by all of the characters around his age, including eventually Ignis and Gladiolus. That'll take some building up though. Oh, and of course, a story like this wouldn't be complete without people thinking their friends were dead, now would it.**

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 **Poor Prompto just keeps getting beat up, and he will continue to keep getting beat up as the story goes on. You guys will see plenty of that as time goes on, and its part of the reason why you need your tissues. Anyway, I hope you all continue to enjoy the story so far! Oh, and who would like some mentions of an old prophecy?**

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Chapter Five: Storm Beast

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Prompto was used to the almost stuffy atmosphere that seemed to surround most of the Citadel, which was more or less the palace for the Royal line of Lucis. Everything seemed cramped, uncomfortable, at least to the young MT. Noctis seemed right at home here, so Prompto attempted to at least act like he felt the same way. He was far used to the stares and glares that he got from people when they thought he couldn't see them, and the way that people talked about him. Today was made even worse by the fact that he was now standing in the middle of the courtyard, where various members of both the Crown's Guard and Royal Hunters were milling around.

The pup didn't make any move to acknowledge anyone other than Noctis and Cor. Iris, Yvis, Mitos and Halia were also going to be training to be in the Royal Hunters, while Ignis, Gladiolus and Gavin were all joining the other students training to be members of the Crown's Guard. A few other various students were milling about the area, all older and having completed far more training than the new group that had recently joined. Many gave Prompto long and calculating looks, as if wondering the best way to tear him apart.

Those were the kinds of eyes he had quickly grown accustomed to, yet these people were far more dangerous than the usual kind of people he came across. The air here practically reeked with power, and it made him nervous. His face betrayed no emotion, but Noctis noticed immediately when Prompto stepped closer to him. Noctis became far more alert, noticing the way people were looking at the pup, and quickly shot glares in the directions of those looking at him. They all adverted their gazes without a complaint, but Prompto did not relax.

Cor was quick to make his appearance however, and the young MT was glad for it as he motioned away the various people who had been training. One of those people paused just a moment to look over the group, before nodding to himself. Prompto had met him a few times before, considering his close proximity to the king and this man's involvement in the ruling council. He had dark blue eyes that seemed to reflect many things, and his hair was white and cut extremely short. His name was Clarus Amicitia, Gladiolus and Iris's father.

The man paused a moment to speak with Cor, whispering something to the man, before hurrying off in whatever new mission he had to do for his king. Cor shook his head before turning to look at the group thoughtfully, eying them all. Many of the children shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, though both Noctis and Prompto had little trouble holding their ground under his scrutiny. Cor made his way over, looking up and down the line before seeming to make up his mind and making his way over (naturally) to Noctis first.

"Your highness," he greeted with a nod. "Prompto." Noctis and Prompto both nodded back, and the man turned to look at the rest of the group. "All right, listen up. I'll be sending each of you to meet your teachers. Yvis and Iris will receive the same teacher, and Mitos and Halia will also be sharing a teacher. The rest of you will have private instructors. As for me, I'll be teaching Noctis and Prompto. Any questions?"

It was clear to Prompto by the way that several members of the group were shifting that they had plenty of questions, most of which were aimed at why Cor was teaching Prompto and the Prince, and why Prompto was paired with their young Prince at all. Most of them still saw him as a dangerous beast and didn't want him anywhere near Noctis. Gladiolus and Ignis looked indifferent to the subject, and Iris seemed to like him. The other four however all winced visibly when Cor looked at them, as if daring them to say something about it. They didn't, and the silence elapsed into several long seconds. Seeing there was nothing, the man nodded and motioned the others to a room off to the side.

"Head in there," he instructed. "And you'll all meet your instructors and head off for your first day of training. If you're still here after that, well, things will get a lot more hectic for you."

Cor crossed his arms and watched the group slowly make their way away from their young Prince and towards the room he had motioned to. He didn't move until the door had shut behind them, leaving them free from prying eyes and listening ears, at least from the children. He then turned his gaze back towards the pup and prince, smirking a little at Noctis's nervous expression. Prompto, seeing how he was now only around people he was more comfortable with, finally let his shoulders relax and blinked up at the man.

"Don't worry, your highness," Cor chuckled. "I know your back is still healing. We'll take it slow. First, I want to ask you a question. Would you want to make Prompto one of your three Swordsworn?"

The question seemed to make Noctis become more thoughtful, and Prompto couldn't help but blink a little at the suggestion. He had heard them mentioned before, people who were about as famous as the kings and queens they had served themselves. Since Noctis was of the line of Lucis, he could store and summon weapons and some other various items into a pocket dimension of sorts.

The Swordsworn could use this same magic to summon their own weapons, and they were treated not only as guardians of the king, but also as their trusted advisers and close companions. It was a right of passage for the young king, when he turned sixteen, to travel the world with all three of his swordsworn at his side. It was a pretty big deal.

"I'd love to," Noctis said, sounding reluctant for the first time. "But...I don't think people would like it much. I don't want Prompto to get hurt anymore because of me."

"I'm not so sure you have a choice," Cor said quietly, looking at the two of them seriously. "You are aware, of course Noctis, that you are the chosen king of light, said to be chosen by the gods at birth to help them rid the world of the Starscourge. And in the same prophecy, there is something known as the Storm Beast. After Lady Lunafreya's warnings for you to keep him close, as well as how the crystal of Lucis itself acted...I think we may have found it."

That was something that got Prompto's attention nearly immediately. He'd heard of the prophecy of the chosen king several times, but he'd never really heard it spoken before. The Empire treated it like it was something to be feared, and it was kept quiet here in Insomnia. Almost like it was too sacred. He wasn't sure if it was sacred or frightening himself, having never heard any of it spoken at all. Even Noctis didn't seem to truly know what the prophecy itself said. Cor, thoughtfully sighing, finally nodded and turned to them.

"I've heard it before," he explained. "and I'll tell it to the two of you. However, you must never speak of it to anyone. It is a terrible knowledge, but perhaps a necessary one. Follow me."

Cor turned and quickly began making his way down another hallway, hurrying to the elevator. Once making sure the two of them were safely tucked inside, he pushed a button and waited patiently as the machine took them to a floor Prompto had never been allowed on before. As the door dinged and opened, Prompto immediately noticed that this place smelled old, forgotten. There was no one here, and though the place was clean their footsteps seemed to echo mournfully in the chambers beyond. Rooms with doors unlike any other in the palace lined the various hallways, but Cor continued directly into the heart of the floor.

In the middle of the hallways, a large circular room connected all of them. There were no furnishings in the dark and foreboding halls, and Prompto felt the hair on the back of his neck beginning to stand up, as if he wasn't welcome here. Noctis shuddered, no doubt feeling the same, and cast the area a quick glance. Prompto understood why. He felt like he was being watched here, like something unknown was lurking just out of reach. He didn't want to turn around, afraid to see what specter haunted these walls. Here, Cor finally stopped.

"Do you know where we are?" he asked. Noctis and Prompto shook their heads. "It is called the hall of mourning. It was once the floor that the royal family and their extended family lived. However, it is said that a great evil was unleashed here, destroying the branching families until only the king and his immediate line had survived."

"I-Is that why the royal family is so small?" Noctis asked with wide eyes.

"So says history," Cor muttered.

The hall of mourning...it had a chill to the name, as if something was lingering here. Being a daemon, he was far used to the supernatural and powerful beings that most people either couldn't see or wrote off as legends. Spirits and ghosts were some of those things. Perhaps the people who had lost their lives were lingering here, watching them and perhaps demanding they leave. They were not attempting to speak, if they existed here. As if they were passing silent judgment on them for coming here. No doubt, if they were here, they were pained by whatever had happened.

Clearing his voice, Cor began to speak. It was softly at first, as if he feared being overhead and didn't want to speak it too loudly. Even in this hushed and dead place, things seemed to fall impossibly silent, as if the words he was saying were sacred. Even as the man started the first few versus of the prophecy, Prompto felt himself bristling as a sense of dread fell over him. There were hints of hope, of light among the darkness, but each word held a weight that Prompto had never before been aware that noises made to communicate could possibly hold.

 _Child of light, born among the darkness  
_ _will rise to take his throne on high.  
_ _But evil chases him through his path  
_ _and brings upon a terror, nigh._

 _Crystal of kings will in its sight  
_ _crown the king of everlasting light,  
_ _but beware the scourge of stars today  
_ _for the line of kings has a price to pay._

 _King of stone, seek out the six;  
_ _gods on high, hear us pray.  
_ _For their power will aid you still  
_ _when darkness has come to stay._

 _Eyes that see souls as they die  
_ _gather an army to face the night.  
_ _Sworn to the sword, three will rise  
_ _to aid you in your coming fight._

 _One, the keeper of knowledge held long,  
_ _will give you wisdom you will need.  
_ _Two, the shield of the king held high,  
_ _will be your strength when you fall to your knees._

 _Three, the Storm Beast appears in wrath,  
_ _to aid the king in his glorious path.  
_ _And forth, the Oracle brings her song,  
_ _to awaken the gods who have slumbered long._

 _But fail your path, and darkness comes;  
_ _a terrible night will fall, eternal.  
_ _The crystal shattered, the ring destroyed,  
_ _and all of man kind left to the inferno._

 _Forgotten sins of gods and man  
_ _upon the king rest their hands.  
_ _For none shall ever truly be free  
_ _until the blinded man can see._

 _Ancestral kings, grant you power;  
_ _their weapons become your solemn vow.  
_ _Ancient line, unleash your strength,  
_ _until darkness is banished from every bough._

 _Then you may gain the power you need  
_ _to see the undoing of terrible deeds.  
_ _Then arise once more, glorious sun,  
_ _for man no longer shall have to run._

Cor fell silent for a long moment, making Prompto shudder at the absence of his words. He was too young to understand much of it, and Noctis no doubt was as well. However both boys could understand the gravity of it and took a long while to commit as much of it to memory as possible. Prompto, being a MT, had no problem with the simple task. Still, he couldn't help but frown. Everlasting night? Who was the blinded man? What ancient powers were they talking about, and who were all the people mentioned in the prophecy? Even more ominous in his mind however, was the thought that gods had to be forgiven of sins at all.

"That," Cor said after a long while, finally breaking the silence. "is the prophecy as we know it."

"Who spoke it?" Prompto asked, but the man just shook his head.

"No one is sure," the man replied. "The record of it was lost at the same time that the Hall of Mourning was blasted with fire."

"There was a fire?" Noctis finally asked, glancing around. Prompto followed his gaze. It didn't seem like this place had been touched, ever.

"There was," Cor confirmed. "It destroyed most of the Royal Family left after the incident, and was remodeled some fifty years later. What that incident was, well, no one really knew much about it or was too scared to talk about it or record it. Soon afterward, a mysterious fire swept through this part of the castle, destroying everyone but the time's king and his immediate family. Some people think that Ifrit caused the fire himself, if you'd believe the stories."

The thought of a wrathful god causing a fire with the full intention of destroying the royal line of Lucis made Prompto very uneasy, especially if the Noctis was supposed to be this "Chosen King of Light" and needed the help of the six. He of course had heard the stories of Ifrit betraying the gods and leaving the citadel of the gods, but no one had ever known why. It was only rumors and stories long forgotten, but this place certainly seemed uneasy and dead. If it was Ifrit who had caused the fire, it would explain why the gods were so furious. The line of Lucis had a long history of being involved with the gods of this land. Even he, a daemon at birth, knew those tales.

"Well," Cor said, much to the relief of both the pup and prince. "We should go. We've spent enough time here. You'll understand what I meant in time, perhaps. Most people think the king and I are wrong in suspecting that Prompto is indeed part of this prophecy, but there's no telling until the time comes. Anyway, we've got more immediate matters to deal with, like your training."

Cheered up a little at the thought of a tangible problem that could be solved quickly, rather than an ancient mystery that no one was completely sure of, the two boys were quick to follow their tutor as he made his way to the elevator again and pushed the button to let them inside. Once the door closed, and they were making their way back towards the courtyard again, the air became less oppressive and Noctis shot Prompto a grin. Prompto managed to send one back, and they both turned their attention back to Cor.

"What are you going to teach us?" he asked, making the man chuckle because of his excited tone.

"We'll start with some basics," he replied. "Since Prompto is going to be one of your three Swordsworn, we'll need to teach you first how to use the pocket dimension I mentioned before. Then, Prompto has to learn to tap into it to pull out his weapons, and after that we should focus on some basic training, maybe how to warp strike." The man gave Noctis a hard stare after this, making the prince wilt just slightly under his gaze. "But THAT will wait until you're ready, got it?"

"Got it," Noctis said, unable to keep himself from sounding happy at the thought.

The elevator soon let out another ding to announce that they had again arrived at the floor with the large courtyard, and Noctis was the first one off, looking happy and not at all concerned with the prophecy he had just heard. Maybe his young mind had just suppressed it for now, being far more excited for training. Prompto however, knew it wasn't something he was ever just going to forget. Sometimes, it really did suck having the mental capacity of a small super computer. He was grateful when Cor promptly distracted him by sitting him and Noctis down to explain how the pocket dimension worked.

"It's an extension of yourself," Cor began. "Think of it, like a light just out of your reach. Its always there, you have to learn how to feel it though. Swordsworn have a harder time reaching this dimension, because they have to be perfectly in sync with their king to even pull the weapons through the dimension, and they have to learn to, in a way, connect to their king's mind without thinking about it. Its more complicated than it appears to be. Though, traditionally, the king only has three Swordsworn, it is possible to expand the dimension and those who can reach it until you can arm a small army with it. And as long as both the king and the Swordsworn are alive, the dimension can be reached despite distance between them, and the king will always be aware when a weapon is removed and put back. Keep in mind though, only a living Swordsworn can return a weapon."

Cor busied himself with trying to explain to a confused Noctis how to reach the dimension that the Lucian kings were able to use in battle, and Prompto looked around the room. Other teachers were busy trying to teach their various students to wield weapons, testing their endurance, or any number of other various things that could be happening at the moment. He couldn't exactly tell with half of his mental power focused on listening to Cor. He did notice however the looks that several of the teachers were casting in their direction, as if they knew where they'd just gone.

Some of them looked angry and others interested. They all turned their attention back to their students however when they saw him looking, as if they were caught doing something they weren't supposed to do. Shaking his head, Prompto turned back to Cor, who was patiently coaching Noctis through the process of reaching this secondary dimension and hadn't noticed the disturbance at all. The pup was surprised however, to see a man standing behind Cor.

He was pale, as if he'd never seen any sun, and he was covered in a black cloak. His hair was hidden under the hood, as were his hands. In fact, the only thing Prompto was truly aware of was the sneer on the man's face. He raised his head, and Prompto saw glowing orange eyes, which seemed to be made of living flame itself. The man met his gaze, pausing just a moment, before growling like an animal. Prompto's eyes flicked around, trying to see if anyone else had noticed him. How could he be the only who heard and saw a man standing there in plain view? As he looked up again, the man was gone as if he'd never been there.

This did nothing to settle his unease, or the feeling of being watched by unfriendly eyes that was crawling all over his skin.

* * *

 **So there was chapter five. Sorry for the delay, but I have anxiety and finally have my dog ready to be my Emotional Support Animal. In other words, I'm getting out more and happy to be doing it, instead of hiding in my room scared all the time and not sure why. That's good news for me, but not so good news for you guys because it means I have less time to write. Anyway, sorry for that huge information dump, but I hope it was interesting.**

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 **I tried writing a Prophecy, but we'll see how that turned out. I gave you guys tons of hints through out that chapter about some things that are going to happen, and some pretty important events and characters that are going to pop up. I guess, if you guys really want, you can theorize who that last guy was in the scene, and why you think only Prompto noticed him. As a matter of fact, you can totally theorize about all of this chapter and see if you can figure some things out. I'll let you know if you get close later. ;)**


	6. Worlds Collide

**Chapter six time! I've had several accounts in the past, but I think this is the fastest I've ever updated one, as well as the farthest I've probably ever gotten so quickly. Anyway, you guys seem to enjoy it, which is good for me. I have a tendency to get nervous about finishing things, but your support has me ready to keep writing! As for chapters that continue to follow this one, well there will be some major time skips in later chapters. I'll focus on some more major events of their young lives, but we won't continue on a basically day to day basis until the events of the game begin happening.**

* * *

 **That's going to be different from canon as well, because why not? This story is basically a complete canon divergence, because why not? I enjoy happier endings, so I decided I'd basically make one. Problem with that? They're not really happy unless a lot of shit goes down that the characters have to fight their way through. Thus, you need your tissues. Anyway, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I'm going to stop ranting now and actually start typing the chapter, because that's why you're here.**

* * *

Chapter Six: Worlds Collide

* * *

Cor saying that their lives would soon get more hectic wasn't an understatement. It was getting difficult for even Prompto to balance his lessons with the man and his school work, and he had the ability to do far more than a human. The rest of them were likewise stretched thin, as if too much had been asked of them. But none of the children had retreated from the training at all. They were all determined to see it through to the end, and Prompto wasn't entirely sure he had a choice in the matter really. Either way, rumors were already flying.

Keeping something that big a secret wasn't exactly something that was easy, and especially not in the Crown City. Even the children were talking about the choices of the Crown's Guard and Royal Hunters to include the young MT among their ranks. Despite the negative attention it had once again drawn to Prompto, he was glad that the training kept Mitos, Yvis, Halia and Gavin from bothering him in class much. They looked far too tired to bother.

Not that this did much to dissuade Iris from being as friendly as usual. Tired though she looked, she dutifully plopped down in her desk next to him after turning in her work for the day, dropping a small army of pamphlets onto the table. Blinking down in confusion, Prompto picked one up. It was an add of sorts, of a club. Drama maybe? He wasn't sure, and he certainly wasn't versed enough in human culture to really understand what he was looking at.

"Here we are," Iris said happily, gaining the attention of her partner to be, and his three friends. "Clubs. I know you're new and all, so I thought maybe we could join a club together. We have to be in at least one. So Prompto, do you see anything you like?"

Prompto just blinked at her, choosing not to speak. He hadn't really...liked anything before. He enjoyed human company, but even before he'd become a MT he'd always been fighting for his survival and trying to prove that he belonged. There was no time (or much ability) as a daemon to do things that he liked, or even find out what he liked, and becoming a MT meant that there was even less time. His brain was practically hardwired for combat, as much as he hated to hurt humans. Iris, looking confused, just watched him. Halia tsked.

"She wants to know what you do for fun, idiot," she said testily. This did little to clear up Prompto's unease with the subject. "Like, a hobby."

"I don't think he really understands what we're talking about," Yvis said, sounding rather disturbed by the thought.

"How can he not know?" Gavin scoffed. "I mean, he's a kid like us."

"He's also a MT," Mitos's knowing reply came.

The rest of them paused a moment, as if soaking in the words. They knew little about MTs, and Prompto was definitely one of the strangest ones around at this point. But he was still a MT, and he wasn't a normal child. It was as if, for a moment, they'd almost all forgotten this fact. A look akin to horror crossed their faces, probably trying to imagine (and failing) how his life had been up to now and how he had no clue what they were talking about. Halia failed to suppress a shudder. Iris on the other hand, grabbed the pamphlets and started turning through them carefully.

"That's okay," she said, as if nothing was wrong. "We'll...we'll just have to find out what you do like. It can't be that hard, right? Is there anything you're good at?"

Prompto just stared at her. There were plenty of things he was good at. He was engineered to be one of the most perfect soldiers that had ever existed. But all of what these humans called his "talents" were battle related. How was he supposed to figure out what he was supposed to say to answer that? He couldn't, so he didn't move. Iris just continued to frown as he leafed through the papers, as if hoping some sort of inspiration for their dilemma would just show up in front of her. The rest of the group, while still uneasy with the situation, seemed to be thinking as well.

"Well," Halia said reluctantly. "Didn't Cor say he was good at like – noticing things? He apparently has an eye for detail."

Iris suddenly gasped and smiled, as if she'd found something perfect. She quickly skimmed through all of the papers again until she found the one she had been looking for. Grinning triumphantly, she placed it in front of him again. Prompto blinked down at it. It was a simple ad, one with a picture of a camera on it and some photographs that other students had taken before. Prompto had never really understood the need for humans to record memories on a piece of paper so they could look at it later. It seemed almost a little silly.

"There," she said. "Photography!"

"Really?" Yvis sighed. "You think he'd be good at that?"

"Well yeah," Iris said immediately. "It would be fun! I'll join with you too, Prompt. Besides, he's got to learn how to be human, right?"

"He's not human," Halia growled, then turned and pointed into Prompto's face. He shrank away from her finger slightly. "And don't you think this means I like you. I still hate you, got it?"

Prompto didn't make a move to respond either way, so she huffed and turned, returning to the side of the classroom that she usually sat on. Her other friends paused a moment, before standing and making their way back to her. Nearly immediately they began a quiet conversation, not that this really bothered him. People talked behind his back all the time. He was used to it. Besides, he'd had to prove before that he belonged in the hunter's camp. It was going to be such much worse trying to prove that he belonged in this kingdom, much less at the Prince's side.

"So," Iris said expectantly, looking at him. "You going to join with me?"

There was something almost sad in her gaze as she looked at him, as if she understood that he was missing something. Prompto wasn't entirely sure why he was, and he had way too many questions about why all of this was necessary. They thought it was a good thing to stimulate creativity in their students? That kind of thing wouldn't be tolerated in the Citadel, especially with MTs. According to the Emperor, creativity was dangerous and spawned unnecessary thoughts. It was just one more way that Insomnia and the Empire were two completely different worlds, he supposed. Finally, he just shrugged, and she grinned, taking it as a yes.

"Well," she said. "Let's go right now!"

She was up and running towards the front of the classroom where the teacher was sitting. Blinking, the woman looked up at Iris and seemed completely unsure how to handle the situation. After a little bit of a conversation, Iris came rushing back, looking pleased. Prompto couldn't help but pity the poor woman a little bit, knowing how impossible it was to argue with the girl when she got something stuck in her head. She was a determined one, and she wasn't going to take no for an answer. Upon reaching him, she grabbed Prompto's bag and practically jumped up and down with excitement.

"Come on," she called. "come on! Its okay, since we're done with our work and all. Let's go, before lunch starts!"

Prompto just stood as the girl grinned and continued to hop up and down. She nearly immediately attached herself to his arm, as if he was going to run away as soon as possible. He stiffened only a moment, before letting the enthusiastic girl pull him down the hallway. He had no idea where they were going, and really wasn't sure he understood why they were going there, but he allowed her to drag him away through the various halls until she found the place where she wanted to be anyway. After nearly five minutes of losing themselves in the maze, they entered a less well kept part of the school that the pup hadn't even been aware had existed up until now.

Iris immediately made her way towards the classroom where there was a single man with boxes full of various cameras. There was no one else in the room, and it looked dusty and unkempt even to his eyes. The man behind the desk was a tall and thin man, well tanned and well muscled for his size. His wild green eyes peered out at them with interest under curtains of copper hair. For a while the man said nothing, as if expecting them to turn and leave. But Iris continued to drag Prompto forward and peered up at the man.

"Hello," she said. "Are you in charge of the Photography Club?"

"What of it?" he grunted. Not seeming put off by this, Iris just smiled.

"Well," she said. "We were thinking of joining." He eyed them, as if expecting some trick.

"Really?" he asked. "Why?" Iris seemed to pause a moment.

"Well I," she started, then restarted after a moment's thought. "I want to help my friend. He's...not exactly normal."

"The MT," the man snorted. "What of him?"

"Well," Iris said, frowning at the man. "I'm not sure he knows HOW to have fun. I mean...after everything he's been through...but he's really good at spotting details so I thought we'd give it a try."

The man turned his eyes instead back to Prompto, standing and making his way towards him. It was if he was sizing the boy up, trying to see what he could find out just by staring at him long enough. Only, the boy's face portrayed nothing of what he was thinking. In reality, he found the man interesting, in an eccentric sort of way. It was like this man lived to take photographs or something. It was in the way he carried himself, the way he was talking to them, like it was his passion. Prompto didn't really fell like he understood why or how it could be so important though.

"Could you," Iris attempted, sounding a little nervous. "Try to explain it in a way he can understand?" The man huffed.

"What's to explain?" he asked. "You can't just do photography. You have to feel it. You just know when the lighting's right, when the subject is in the perfect spot. It's part of your soul, just like any other form of art." Prompto blinked, feeling as if the man was speaking a completely different language. Iris quickly came to his rescue again.

"Well," she said. "Why don't you explain how it feels? I mean, he hardly even seems to understand the concept of fun. He's just a kid, but they made him do all the fighting..."

Her voice trailed off, as if she was going to start crying. She looked like she was going to start crying, turning away from them and wiping at her eyes. The man's eyes flicked between the two kids, looking as if he was torn by her reaction and his nervousness of the MT. Finally, another thought seemed to pass over his face, as if he was horrified at the thought of a kid being made to fight. It was interesting to watch all these emotions pass across his face at the same time, and the man quickly cleared his voice. He turned to Prompto, looking far more serious, and the MT had to fight the urge not to laugh as Iris pumped her fist in triumph. She was a sneaky one.

"Listen up," he said. "This isn't just some stupid game. People like me take it really seriously. It may seem useless to some people, but its really important. Before all this technology existed, historical events had to be recorded on paper and painted or drawn later. However, an artist's interpretation could change the picture into something that didn't happen. That's the problem with art. What one person sees as the perfect way to showcase something completely confuses someone else. That's where photography is more than art, but a historical record as well."

That honestly made a lot more sense to Prompto. Art didn't quite make sense to him as much as gathering facts did. Maybe it was just his life from before, where it was fight to survive or die. However, he did know that pictures were a good representation of people and places. Art wasn't really something that he understood, but history did. Expressing oneself had never really been on his to do list before all of this after all. The man was watching his face, when he saw the light click on in Prompto's head, he nodded as if pleased with his understanding so far. Carefully thinking, the man turned back to look at his box of cameras, pulling one out to show him.

"But Art in itself is important," he continued. "People always strive to make a mark, to leave something behind when they leave. I suppose it makes us feel immortal, in a way. People are afraid of death, so they wish to leave something behind. So some people express their lives through paintings or drawings, or photography. Think about it. An image can instill a sense of fear into a person, or a feeling of power or superiority. Music and sounds can create sadness and happiness in equal measure. Feeling is part of our existence, so we create things to feel."

Now he'd almost completely lost him, though Prompto felt like he understood more in a way. Seeing that he was confused, the man thought a moment, and Iris face palmed behind his back. The man flipped on the camera and prepared it with practiced ease, motioning for Prompto to stand on one of the desks in the middle of the room, confused, the boy got up as he was told and turned to the man, waiting. Nodding, the man pulled out the camera, moving around him a little and then motioning for Prompto to be still. After a while, a click was heard, and the man returned, showing him the camera and the picture on it.

"Maybe showing you would be better," the man said knowingly.

The man turned the tiny screen around for Prompto to see, and he found himself looking at it carefully, trying to analyze it. The training he'd had for battle just saw that it was a picture of him, but he tried to concentrate for a minute on the picture instead. Thinking back on the man's description of what art was supposed to be, how it was supposed to make him feel, he tried to concentrate. It was a picture to his side, where the dust flying in the air and the light coming through the window made his fair complexion seem to glow with a strangely holy light. The look on his face was sort of annoyed, but he was looking forward, almost as if he was concentrating on something else. If he hadn't known why he had been annoyed, he might have thought he was looking at something else. It made his tiny frame look almost more menacing somehow.

"Now I want you two to try," the man said. "and then if I think you're good enough, I'll lend you one of my cameras and let you join the club. Got it? Try getting a good picture of each other in here."

Iris practically jumped at the chance, gasping and hopping up and down with excitement. She took the camera from the man's (presumably the teacher in charge of the club) as if it would break if she shook it too hard and then turned to Prompto again. She put her finger to her chin, as if exaggerating the motion of thinking, before nodding to herself and smiling. She motioned for Prompto to join her closer to the window and then pulled out the camera.

"Can you show me your daemon form?" she asked. "I want to get a picture of that."

Prompto shrugged and then dropped to all fours, morphing again into his daemon form. Turning to look at her expectantly, he paused a moment, wondering if she wanted him to pose or anything silly like that. He didn't really have much experience with cameras, but those people he had been around when they had wanted to take pictures always came up with silly poses and such. It didn't make that much sense to him. Then again, he really didn't do anything "fun" unless he was around Noctis. He tended to retreat into a little shell instead. Before realizing it, he heard a click, and Iris skipped happily back to the teacher.

Prompto returned to his human form and drew a little closer to the man, curious to see a smile appear on his face when he looked down at the picture. Seeing Prompto looking, he turned the camera so he could see it. She'd picked a nice spot for the photograph, because the noon sun outside made his already bright fur seem impossibly brighter still. The sideways look he was giving the camera gave a nice profile to his face and made him look almost gentler than normal somehow. Suddenly, he didn't look nearly so terrifying as he apparently usually did. He looked more or less like a giant dog patiently waiting for its picture to be taken.

"Not bad," the man said. "Now it's your turn. Take the camera and make sure to get a good picture of your friend here."

Prompto carefully took the camera, looking it over quickly. Despite never having held one before (and not having hands before when he had seen one), he understood the basic concept of how to use the camera. Even so, he didn't feel very confident in trying to take a picture and capture the kind of emotion that the other two seemed to add into theirs. Instead, he motioned Iris in front of the window she'd had him stand in front of, carefully looking through the lens and waiting. Nearly immediately, she smiled and folded her hands behind her back, leaning forward and trying to look as adorable as possible.

He paused just a moment, before edging around her a little as she continued to smile at him. The light hit her better here and didn't hide her face from view, giving her dark hair a warm halo as she smiled. Her pale skin seemed to shine brighter for it, giving her a kind and warm appearance. Her pose made her look kinder too, more like the personality he knew she usually had. Her somber clothing seemed to shine in the light as dust danced in front of her still form, giving the frame an otherworldly apperance. It didn't even look like the same room. He wasn't entirely sure that he was the greatest at this, but he was satisfied that he felt something when he looked through the lens.

Snapping the picture, he turned and walked back to the man, handing the camera back to him. Prompto silently waited for the man's judgment, watching the surprised expression that flicked across his face. Iris quickly ran over to look as well. She stood on her toes to peer at the screen and gasped, happiness lighting up her features as she began jumping up and down in happiness again. She looked positively thrilled and ran over to Prompto, grabbing him into another hug that made him stiffen a little before finally relaxing.

"This is," the man said thoughtfully. "Really good. You were right, he does have an eye for detail."

"I knew you'd be good at this," she practically squealed in his ear. "I knew it!"

"All right, all right," the man said, chuckling a little. "I guess a deal's a deal. I'll let you two borrow a camera each, but you've got to take good care of it. You can call me Hirsch. Welcome to Photography club."

The man handed the two of them cameras, each with a bag and the rather confusing mess of equipment that went with both of them. Not entirely sure what to do with the camera, Prompto just packed it away and jumped at the sound of an ancient printer suddenly starting up. After printing out the images, Hirsch handed them to Iris, who was smiling happily at them. Clutching them to her chest, she smiled and waved as she grabbed Prompto's arm and dragged him back towards the cafeteria where the rest of their "friends" were waiting.

Prompto let out a soft sigh as they left the less used portion of the school behind and quickly made their way towards the cafeteria again. As they drew closer, Prompto immediately noticed Noctis looking around, seemingly nervous to lose sight of his friend, and Gladiolus looked rather unnerved to not be able to see his sister. Ignis, who was nearby, was the first to notice the two approaching and point them out. Both Noctis and Gladiolus looked relieved to see the two, as if they were expecting them to disappear into thin air.

Iris immediately skipped over to the three, showing off the pictures they'd taken and explaining for the still rather confused looking Prompto. The three looked over the two, seemingly impressed by what they saw, and Prompto was a little surprised to see Gladiolus and Ignis smile too. Noctis on the other hand immediately went over and threw an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders, grinning down at him and holding up the picture he'd taken of Iris.

"You're really good," he said. "I didn't know you could take pictures. You should do it more often. But you should really stop being so quiet all the time. People would like me more if you acted like you did when you weren't so tense."

"I just knew he'd be good at it," Iris said, sounding proud.

"Well you seem to have an eye for noticing things," Ignis mentioned.

"It'll be so much fun, right Prompto?" she asked. Prompto just kind of shrugged.

"There you two are," another voice growled, not unkindly, but enough to make Prompto bristle slightly anyway before forcing himself to relax. "Where have you been?"

"Cor?" Noctis asked, glancing towards the man. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I as assigned to check up on you and Prompto regularly," the man replied, crossing his arms and raising a brow. "What's this?" Iris didn't hesitate the thrust the pictures into the man's hands.

"Prompto and I joined the photography club," she said excitedly. "And look, he's really good already!" The man let out a hum.

"I think I have an idea what we're going to train you on next, Prompto," the man said. Then he looked down at the boy for a long while, as if pitying him for a moment. It wasn't a look he was accustomed to the man giving him. "But you really should try to relax Prompto. Whether you're a MT or not, you're still just a child. Maybe its time you act like one."

With that, the man handed the pictures back to Iris and turned, making his way quickly down the hallway. Noctis and Iris gave Prompto concerned glances, and Gladioulus and Ignis looked rather confused and out of place in the situation. Prompto on the other hand, looked down at the bag he was holding that was carrying the camera in it. Was he supposed to have fun with it? Getting praised for what he'd done certainly made him feel good, but it was only a natural reaction.

This whole trying to fit in with society thing was a lot harder than it seemed at first.

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 **All right, finally done with chapter six. I bet you guys already have a good idea what "weapons" Cor wants to train Prompto with, and of course, this is where his love for Photography first begins. In any case, we'll have a few more chapters worth of things before the actual story begins, and then things are going to get really interesting really fast.**

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 **Thanks so much for all the support you guys have been giving me for this story. It really means a lot that you guys like it so much. As long as I have inspiration and time I'll continue to keep updating it! Thanks a lot!**


	7. Of Daemons And Men

**Here we go with chapter seven! As for this chapter, well its been a long while coming. I've been planning this one a while, and its where the other kids finally seem to start liking Prompto, which helps him come out of his shell. There's going to be a whole bunch of crazy things going on right now and its going to be so much fun. Though I probably changed some of the group's actual abilities as well. Whoops.**

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 **So here we go. This doesn't need much more introduction than this. I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story and feel free to leave a review below.**

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Chapter Seven: Daemons and Men

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The concept of fun still remained a rather new idea for the young MT, but he found that he did enjoy taking photographs, almost as much as he enjoyed being in Noctis's presence. There was something satisfying about it, and he was pleased that it helped ease the fighting protocol that had nearly been drilled into his brain at this point from the time he had been in the empire. It almost made him forget about all of the heartache and pain that had been involved in becoming a MT.

Ignis had tried to breach the subject only once, to which Noctis had simply replied Prompto had once told him that he remembered every single detail form the time. Whether all of the children were too disturbed to ask more, or they respected his privacy, they left him alone about it after that. It was a subject that all of them avoided if they could, even his former bullies. While none of the children but Iris and Noctis were outwardly friendly towards him, they weren't nearly so cruel, which was much preferred in his opinion.

This, coupled with the fact that people would compliment his photographs even if they were obviously afraid of him had brought him a little out of the wary shell he wore. While he was often silent when too many strangers were present, he was getting used to actually speaking to those people he did know when they talked to him, which was almost a battle with Iris. It was as if she had forgotten he'd known how to speak in the first place. But the friendliness of the other children could perhaps be because of their training.

While Gavin, Ignis and Gladiolus weren't training with the other four many times, the fact that they had all survived this training for nearly two months already was a feat in and of itself. Most of the school was talking about it in fact, and most of the city. Many new recruits would drop out nearly instantly and not be able to take the grinding pace, and especially having Cor as a teacher to one of the groups. Even Prompto had gotten some sympathetic glances both inside and outside of the castle when they saw the various bruises and scratches he had received.

And learning to specialize in certain weapons wasn't an easy feat either. Cor, sensing Prompto's good eyes and his previous exposure to such things, had been given training to use various guns. Machinery came naturally to him because of his background as a MT, so there was no trouble there. Iris used mostly daggers and short swords while her partner Yvis focused on guns as well, but also focused mostly on lances. Mitos used swords and shields while Halia used crossbows and javelins.

Ignis was mostly focused on lances, though he was also quickly becoming a magic expert as well. Gladiolus used swords and shields as his main weapons focus. Gavin, the big bruit he was, used swords and axes as his weapons of choice. Noctis however seemed to have an affinity for any weapon you put in his hands. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that his Lucian Bloodline gave him some very special abilities.

With each day his back healed more, the harder Cor began to push the two of them. Cor pushed Prompto the hardest, knowing his background and the training he did manage to complete in the Empire made him much more advanced than any of the others in his class so far. Noctis only grimaced and demanded to be pushed at the same level as his partner, so he was also making leaps and bounds that impressed many people around the castle. Noctis had already mastered summoning his weapons from his pocket dimension, but Prompto was having a harder time. He could reach it if they were in contact and he could reach the light in Noctis's mind as Lunafreya had accidentally taught him, but he knew they would not be touching in combat.

The thought of fighting put his teeth on edge. He disliked it, mostly because as a MT, he had been ordered to fight and not stop killing those the Empire marked as its enemy until his objective was finished. More often than not, that objective was simply "kill the threat", but he hated having to attack innocent people. Though he knew that Insomnia was a far more friendly place than the Empire, he could hardly see how it would be any different. So he stood in the practice arena unloading the third clip from his dark black handgun into the target in front of him, which he had nearly sawed the head of the printed person off with bullet holes.

He hit the release and dropped the empty clip to the ground with a clatter, grabbing another from his pocket and slamming it into the bottom of the gun. With the click sounding, he cocked the gun and aimed with a practiced precision, continuing down the line as he fired the gun. His hands no longer shook when he held the gun in one hand, having grown accustomed to actually holding its weight, but he wanted to feel it in both hands now. As he eyed down the sight, carefully making sure each bullet made a hole precisely where he wanted it to, he continued to unload the gun. With a dead flutter the page ripped in half and the bottom of the picture floated down to the ground.

"You've been busy," a voice grunted behind him.

Prompto immediately whirled around, surprised that he hadn't heard the person coming up behind him, but flipped the safety back on the gun and slipped it into the holster on his belt as he looked up at Cor. The man just seemed to watch him for a long moment, as if trying to figure out something as he continued to look at the pup. Nodding to himself, the man put on a more relaxed posture, causing Prompto to nearly immediately imitate it.

"Anyway," Cor continued. "An Annual Ball has come up today. Seeing how nervous people are of you, King Regis asked me to tell you to wait in your room. He doesn't want to take the chance that something could happen." The man held out his hand expectantly.

"Sure," Prompto said with a shrug, unbuckling the belt and holster from his hip and giving the gun and its bullets back to the man. Cor frowned as he weighed them in his hands.

Prompto wasn't sure why. After all, he wasn't sure he'd do well in a party anyway. He was socially awkward at best and didn't talk to very many people. He wouldn't have been comfortable at all in that kind of situation, even if Noctis was there (as he most likely had to attend since he was the prince). As for what the ball was, well he wasn't too sure. People didn't really seem to talk to him about such things. Noctis knew it made him uncomfortable and he made other people uncomfortable. He might not have been listening if Iris had mentioned it during one of her various one sided conversations with him anyway.

"Stay in you deamon form," the man ordered in a warning tone.

This quickly gained Prompto's attention. Obviously, the man was expecting some kind of trouble and didn't want him near it, probably because he would be blamed for it. Why was he so nervous about it that he was asking him to stay in his daemon form? So he could frighten people away? So he would be less of a target because of his intimidating features? He wasn't sure, but the man's no nonsense look was now back on his face.

Prompto nodded, which seemed to ease some of the tension in the man's shoulders. The man simply flicked his chin in the direction of the elevator, which Prompto took as his leave to go. The pup turned and marched straight to the machine, hitting the button to return to the familiar floor. Even as it dinged open and he stepped out, it was obvious that something was happening. People were in formal wear and talking excitedly, even nodding pleasantly to him as he passed. Prompto quickly made his way to the room that he and Noctis shared and closed the door behind him.

The young prince was no where to be found, most likely already down greeting guests though Prompto had no idea when the party was actually supposed to be starting. Remembering Cor's rather unnerving request, he dropped to all fours and returned to his human form, curling up next to the bed that Noctis usually occupied when he was in here. He tucked his nose under his back legs comfortably, though humans looking at him wouldn't see how he could possibly be comfortable in that position. Carefully maneuvering the blades on his shoulders so he wouldn't tear any of the sheets, Prompto sighed and closed his eyes to wait.

* * *

 _The smell of the camp was a familiar one, as was the familiar scents of the various hunters that made up this place. It was late at night, around three in the morning. It was a time when daemons like Prompto were most active, and when humans most feared being outside at night. This was evident by the way the injured hunter kept jumping and looking around with wild eyes. Even at the edge of the hunter's camp, he wasn't at ease._

 _It was a new moon however, and the man couldn't see where they were. Prompto had to keep doubling back and brushing his shoulder against the man's leg, careful to not cut him with the sharp blades on his shoulders and back legs or startle him too much, just to lead him this far. It had taken several days worth of hiking (only at night since Prompto was a daemon and therefore had a natural aversion to sunlight) to get back._

 _Tia's father was once again mad at him, and her mother had been convinced that he was trouble. Tia, crying, had kept begging him to not choose between him and her family, which had brought on a coughing fit that, of course, he had been blamed for. He had been tossed outside and left there even when Tia had cried and begged. Fearing the approaching sun he had quickly found a place to hide from it for the day. It was there he had heard that the hunter had gone missing and they were looking for his dog tags. It was the only thing that they could find to identify them and let their families know what had happened._

 _Prompto had decided to take it upon himself to find the hunter, dead or alive. Since her parents wouldn't let him back into the house, he would have to prove to them that he still belonged there. So he'd gone out and found the stranded hunter. Mostly, he was injured but all right since the daemons attacking him had died with the sun as it rose. Still, he was pretty roughed up and went slower than most humans, walking with a heavy limp._

" _You'd better not be leading me to some cliff," the man growled._

 _He'd been saying the same kind of things since he'd found him. It was honestly kind of a miracle that Prompto had gotten him to follow him at all. The man recognized him from camp, and though he was wary, had accepted his help and had followed him and stopped when he stopped for the day. Maybe it was because he had lost his weapons and so Prompto was the only sort of protection he had out there from the daemons, but their journey had finally come to and end at last._

 _Prompto immediately ran forward, leaving the man's side, and running down the familiar stretch of dirt road to the house. Usually the camp would be lit, making him hesitant to come through the area if he was outside, but now the lights had been left off. Upon reaching the familiar front door he let out a back and started scratching insistently on the wood with his strong claws. There was no reply from inside, so he jumped up on his back legs and scratched louder and faster with both front legs, barking again._

 _He couldn't leave the man alone for too long though, and had to return to check up on him. The frightened man hadn't moved at all though, and continued to watch with wide eyes. It was too dark for him to recognize the camp. Satisfied that nothing was going to harm the man for a moment, Prompto returned again and barked, scratching on the door. There was a loud swear from the other side of the door, and the sound of a gun being grabbed. It made him quickly retreat from the door and shudder. He'd faced too many guns not to be wary._

 _After that, only silence reigned from the house. Slowly, the door opened and a familiar man was peering out into the darkness, blinking and trying to see. Prompto let out a quiet bark in greeting to let the man know he was still there, and he turned. The daemon knew that face anywhere. He was well tanned and well muscled, with lines on his face that hinted at his rugged lifestyle. He wasn't that old, only around thirty three or so, but he looked older. His hair was raven black, and his eyes storm gray. Slowly the man flipped on the dull porch light._

 _It was very little light, but it made Prompto yelp and retreat to the edge of the light. He remained as far into the light as he could force himself to, knowing the man wouldn't see him if he wasn't there in the light. He turned in a circle twice, hoping to gain the man's attention. All he got was a scowl in return. Before Prompto could think of what else to do, he heard the man give a startled cry. He bolted back towards the man to check on him, leaving Tia's father startled behind him by his sudden disappearance. The man had attempted to find him in the darkness, unable to see the light from here, and had tripped over a rock. After assuring the man he wasn't leaving him, he once again left him to return to the familiar house._

 _Now Tia's mother had joined her husband at the door, looking just as confused about the situation. She was a pretty thing, but also looked older than she should have. She was covered in scars that marred her pretty features, but he could see she was still beautiful. Her hair was a dark crimson color, contrasting to her husband and daughter, and her eyes were sky blue. Stepping again into the light he let out a whine and turned a circle._

" _What do you want, pest?" the man hissed at him. "You've been gone for days, and now you show up now in the middle of the night? Tia's sick, you know!"_

" _We'd hoped you would have been gone for good this time," the woman added, though there was a note of almost relief in her voice despite her harsh words at seeing him again._

 _Despite being rather confused by her contradicting words and tone, and feeling guilty for possibly waking Tia up when she was sick again, he turned a circle again. He had more pressing matters at the moment, like a man who was too petrified to currently move much from where Prompto had left him. The daemon growled as he stepped farther into the light and then turned, raising a paw and going straight as an arrow as he pointed with his nose towards the man. It was a ridiculous pose, but one that humans understood easily enough._

" _What?" the man asked, this time sounding surprised. "You want us to follow you? Out there?"_

 _Prompto spun in a circle again and barked louder this time, trying to tell them that yes, that's exactly what he wanted, and they didn't have enough time. It was too bad humans couldn't understand him when he spoke, though he supposed it wasn't really a language like theirs. They could be rather dense sometimes though, and it was annoying. Right now he had to keep his cool though. Other porch lights were turning on as people heard him, coming out to investigate. Next door, a woman came out with dark brown hair and brown eyes, not looking that different from the man he'd led to this place again. It was the man's wife, and the dark circles under her eyes suggested she hadn't been sleeping. Ignoring the growls, questions and distrust from the hunters around him, he ran to the woman and spun in a circle, barking at her._

 _She jumped as he drew close, and again when he barked, but she seemed to pause for a long moment and stare at him. Something flashed behind her eyes and she nodded to Prompto, making the pup turn and trot slowly back to where he'd left the man. Now with a small army of hunters behind him, Prompto returned to the injured man, making sure to keep just within the range of their flashlights until they reached the place._

 _Weeping, the woman threw her arms around her husband's neck and began to cry. Astonished cries and those of relief came from the various members of the camp as Prompto sat and watched them all. He couldn't help but feel a little pleased with himself for the turn of events. This time he hadn't just waited until someone found them the next day, but led someone all the way home. There were no dog tags to be returned now, but a living and breathing human being. To his surprise though, the woman grabbed his head and kissed it, making him yelp in surprise. This gained some chuckles from around the group, but everyone seemed in higher spirits now._

 _The man and woman (it seemed rather rude to call them such, but he'd never really bothered to learn any other names but Tia's. She was the only one who was ever nice to him after all) who were his "owner's" parents frowned to him. The man motioned for him to follow and Prompto stood, carefully making sure not to draw too close to the man to get a negative reaction from him. He didn't feel like being shot by a shotgun. They walked in silence back to the house, where the man opened the door and simply stared._

 _Getting the message, Prompto stood and made his way quickly inside, pausing just a moment as the two entered the house behind him and closed the door. His nose twitched, catching the unfortunately too familiar scent of sickness in the air. Turning towards the source, he crossed the small house and entered the open door of the bedroom. In the bed was a familiar face, Tia's to be exact. She looked too pale and shivered occasionally. She had always seemed to have gotten sick when he was told to leave, though this was the worst so far._

 _Her pale face was hidden under her long locks of black hair, and her brown eyes flicked behind her closed lids. Carefully Prompto jumped up onto the bed, laying down behind her and turning the blades on his body towards the wall so she probably wouldn't hurt herself if she turned over. He laid down then, pulling himself close. He felt her press her body close to him as if for the extra warmth he gave off. She seemed to relax._

 _Prompto was aware of her parents watching him from the doorway, but closed his eyes and didn't look up at them. He knew they hated him, so he'd rather not see it on their faces. Despite their poor treatment of him, they had still been far kinder than his pack. At least they let him stay with them and kept him from starving. His ear flicked though at the sound of a Magitek Engine going overhead. Living in the Empire had some pretty bad moments, especially with the Empire taking such an interest in daemons, more than usual._

 _It was well known they made weapons out of them, the so called MTs. The rate at which they were capturing daemons was alarming though, even to the pup. It was like they were preparing for war or something._

* * *

The sound of an opening door and grown awoke Prompto from his dream about as quickly as he had fallen into it. He yawned and stretched, feeling refreshed despite the sadness that washed over him at the dream. He wasn't even sure if any of the hunters had survived the attack the MTs had launched on them. And why? Because for some reason they had finally decided they liked him (or he was useful enough) to not give him to them.

As touched as he had been, nothing had prepared them for that attack. Rather than letting them all die for them, he had attempted to give them a chance to survive and had allowed himself to be captured that day. Unfortunately the MTs didn't stop their attack. He had been drugged after that, and only remembered waking up in Nifilheim. He had no clue what had happened to them, and the fear of finding out along with his panic after his escape had driven him in the completely opposite direction, towards Tenebrae.

He wasn't too sure if he actually regretted it or not, and turned his attention instead towards Noctis as the boy groaned and sat down on his knees next to him, pressing his forehead into the top of Prompto's head. The daemon let out a soft whine. The prince looked far more worn out than he remembered him seeing after any training. At least he managed a smile when Prompto made his sound of concern. Prompto yawned again, glancing towards the window. Was it already dark out? How long had he been sleeping?

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Noctis sighed. "Just...worn out. I never have liked parties. Not since my mom died. Today's supposed to be fun but...I don't know it just wasn't the same without you there."

"Probably safer for both of us if I'm in here though," he remarked, flicking an ear. "Did you at least tell someone you were leaving?"

"They wouldn't have let me go if I did," Noctis mumbled. Now Prompto's ear flicked in annoyance.

"Yeah but they'll panic and think you've gone missing," he pointed out. "Cor was really worried that something was going to go wrong tonight."

This seemed to get Noctis's attention, mainly because both of them knew that their teacher wasn't one to just say things without meaning to. He wasn't the kind of man to just make casual conversation either, so it was highly likely that Cor had noticed something. While he hadn't told them, he'd certainly given Prompto enough of a warning to gain his interest. Standing again and walking towards the window, Noctis thoughtfully looked out of the window, as if staring at the gardens below would give him some insight into what was going on. Prompto watched him for a long moment, trying to see what he was thinking. Just like his fathomless eyes however, the rest of him was a mystery as well, one that Prompto still couldn't solve.

Someone was approaching from the hallway. They weren't making any efforts to really be quiet, so he didn't pay much attention to it. Probably a servant trying to see if Noctis had run back to his room after they noticed he was gone from the party. Surely seeing the prince no longer present would cause quite a stir even if people weren't apparently on high alert. The door opened, and his ear flicked. He turned, bristling as he saw a man in all black. His face was covered and he had a gun in his hand. Prompto let out a feral bark before the man raised his gun.

Prompto yelped loudly as pain exploding through his skull, chest and left shoulder. He crumpled to the ground, waiting for his head to stop spinning and the pain to ebb, forcing himself to keep silent. Had he just shot him? Probably, if the far too familiar feeling of pain he felt was true. Being a daemon, he already would be hard to take down even with a shot to the head and chest. Being a MT however, he was even harder to kill because of the various metal fused into his bones specifically to make him more durable in battle.

The man was probably underestimating him because of his size, which was good for him. Closing his eyes until he was barely able to see through his lashes, waiting for the man to make a fatal mistake. He let out a silent sigh before raising his gun threateningly and turning to Noctis again. It took all of his will power to not growl and bristle at the man. Noctis turned with wide eyes, freezing as he saw Prompto's still form and the blood pouring out of him.

"P-Prompto," he cried, horrified.

He turned his attention instead to the man who was stepping past the Thunderdog now, holding the gun in his hand. Prompto mentally growled, wanting him to turn his back to him so he could more easily move. If the man saw him move he might spook and shoot Noctis, which Prompto wasn't about to happen. Prompto hated fighting, and he hated everything to do with hurting innocent people. Someone who was going to hurt one of his friends though was another story. Prompto was more than willing to fight to protect someone he cared about. He didn't particularly like fighting, but it wasn't like it wasn't part of his life before. He just hoped his leg would hold his weight if he tried to stand. The shot had hit him just above the elbow.

Someone else was running down the hallway, several small pairs of feet. Prompto carefully glanced towards the door without letting anyone realize he was still awake and responsive to the people around him. He had to resist the urge to groan, seeing that the whole gang was here. He was a little surprised to see the anger flash across Gavin's and Gladiolus's faces, the horror across Halia's and Iris's faces, and the shock across Yvis's and Mitos's faces. Ignis on the other hand however looked attentive, as always. Prompto caught him nodding silently to him.

A smile flicked onto his lips for a few seconds before falling away again, which Ignis immediately noticed. Of course, he would notice that there was no way that he was dead. Ignis was practically a walking library at this point. Not that he minded. Prompto actually quite respected him for it. Unfortunately, it didn't look like there were any adults present, and all of them were still in their party attire. It certainly didn't stop them from charging towards the startled man however.

He seemed to hesitate to raise his gun, as if not believing that he was being attacked by a bunch of kids. Iris quickly slid across the ground, ignoring her dress which ripped as she did so, taking one of the man's legs out from under him. He stumbled a little, and Gavin and Gladiolus leaped on him, trying to grab the gun away from him. Yvis and Ignis quickly ran to Noctis's side, who had seemed to recover enough to remember to summon some daggers he had. They were used for practice and not very sharp, but it would still be plenty if used correctly.

Mito made a grab for the gun, but the man threw Gladiolus off enough to smack into him and send them both tumbling to the ground in a mess of limbs. Gavin couldn't hold a fully grown man down on his own and was sent tumbling off into Yvis and Ignis. Turning his gun again, the man grabbed the first hostage he could find. That happened to be Halia, who had been trying to grab the gun while the man was distracted. She froze with wide eyes as he pressed the barrel of the gun to the back of his head. The other children also stopped, watching the man fearfully. This was probably the first life or death situation they'd ever been in. Ignis was the only one who looked remotely calm and collected, and he was the only one fully facing Prompto.

The man's back was finally turned to him, so Prompto silently snarled as he forced himself to stand. His left front leg shook under him, and another wave of pain shot through the various wounds he'd already sustained. But he didn't have time to pay attention to his wounds. He'd had worse during training as a MT, and Halia needed his help. He carefully inched his way closer, his feet absolutely silent on the carpet that was in Noctis's room. Too bad he was bleeding. The servants would probably have a fit about that. Ignis pushed his glasses up on his face, letting out a slight huff.

"What's so funny?" the man with the gun growled.

"Nothing really," he responded. "Except how gullible you are. You do realize MTs have metal infused into their skeletons right? Three shots like that wouldn't have even taken down a daemon, let alone a MT."

The man's eyes widened in horror and he began to turn, but far too late. Prompto let out a bark as he leaped up and sank his teeth into the man's wrist, effectively pulling it away from Halia. A shot went off, missing Iris's head by a millimeter as he let out a panicked screech. He turned his other hand, punching Prompto squarely in the nose and making him yelp. He only growled more and pulled back hard, hearing something break as his grip grew tighter. Prompto dragged the man several steps away from the children, screaming the whole way in panic.

This time he managed to hit Prompto's nose hard enough that he let go, shaking his head and whining pitifully as his blow caught the sensitive appendage painfully. Noctis and Ignis leaped on the man though, managing to wrestle the gun out of his hurt hands. Noctis gave the man a painful poke with his daggers, managing to draw blood. The man reached for Ignis this time, trying to grab the gun, and Prompto leaped onto him. This time his teeth closed lightly over the man's throat. He made a panicked yelping noise but stopped moving.

Prompto continuing growling, managing to not sigh in relief when the man simply stopped. He was worried how the others were going to react to seeing such a display of savagery from Prompto when before he'd been...well rather docile for a MT. To his surprise though, it was Halia who ran over first, looking at the wounds he had gotten with concern. She quickly ripped off the hem of her dress, gently patting away some of the blood that had sunken into his pretty golden fur. He flicked his ears but didn't pull away.

"Prompto are you okay?" Gladiolus asked.

"Well he'll live," Ignis's reply came, rather humorlessly but sounding relieved all the same.

"Yeah but he's hurt," Iris said, sounding concerned.

"We need to go get someone," Noctis said. "Before he tries to-"

The man, panicked, punched Prompto's injured left leg, making him yelp. His teeth clamped down harder though even as the leg gave out. Before the angered children could punish the man for his actions, Prompto's eyes flashed dangerously and his coat sparked with electricity. He kept the shock minimal, but the man still screamed as the lightning coursed through him. Prompto couldn't generate much lightning naturally, but being struck by lightning could help with that, which is why Thunderdogs lived in the mountains usually, where the thunder struck more often. The man whimpered but stopped struggling abruptly again.

"Is that why they're called Thunderdogs?" Halia managed, surprised.

"Indeed," Ignis replied. "Even the young can generate small amounts of electricity naturally. Being struck by lightning increases the potency. They also live in large packs for this same reason. Striking another with a lightning attack can cause a chain reaction and strengthen all of their attacks substantially."

"Kind of makes me glad he's on our side," Yvis muttered.

"I-I'll go get someone," Mitos added quickly.

"I'm going with you," Gavin growled. "You guys make sure that guy doesn't try to hurt Prompto again."

Prompto continued to growl, standing again and leaning farther onto his right side to ease the pain now throbbing through his left leg. The frightened man however luckily seemed to scared at the thought of being shocked again to try another stunt like before. Not that Prompto was going to let go any time soon, but it certainly wasn't pleasant. Noctis however had his blades ready, dull though they were, and was glaring at their attacker as if daring him to try and hurt his friend again.

More annoyingly, the blood on his head were beginning to fall into his face and drip into his eye. It stung and made him even more annoyed about the situation. Halia started dabbing at the blood on his head again, which relieved the problem a little bit, but it did little to stop the pain. It didn't take long for Gavin and Mitos to return with a bunch of the Crown's Guard to come running, including Cor and Clarus.

Clarus immediately ran to check on his two children, seemingly fine with ignoring Prompto. Cor on the other hand materialized his lance in his hand and flicked in, making the pup knowingly take a step back. The blade of his lance was soon pressed firmly to the man's throat, who whimpered.

"I see you were trying to attack our young prince," Cor growled in a voice that made Prompto growl, adding a terrifying punctuation that the sentence didn't need. "I think we're going to have a LONG chat."

He lifted his lance, motioning for three of the Crown's Guard to grab the man. They quickly did so, dragging him away down the hallway and away to one of the many interrogation rooms. Cor turned his attention instead to the group, searching for any injuries that they may have gotten during the fight they had. Seeing that the only one really hurt was Prompto, he turned to look him over instead. He knew he was more favoring his right side, and he had been shot both in his head and close to his heart. As painful as it was, he knew it probably looked worse to the children than it did to Cor's eyes. The man didn't seem to care about that though.

"It seems we need a lesson in daemons," Cor said to the children suddenly. "You're damn lucky he underestimated Prompto and shot him. Prompto's going to the infirmary, and then tomorrow we'll start our lessons. Let this be our first one. Even if you think you've downed a daemon, don't ever turn your back on it until you think its dead."

With that rather ominous sounding proclamation, he turned and motioned for Prompto follow him. Stiffly and painfully he made his way after his teacher, knowing it would be easier for him to heal now once the bullets were out of him and he stayed in this form. He particularly didn't like to change forms after he got hurt so bad because it changed where the wounds were and often aggravated them. Still, he felt a sense of pride in knowing that he would fight to protect his friends, even if they didn't all think of him as a friend.

* * *

 **And finally, here's the end of chapter seven. Chapter eight will have a bit of a dramatic change in the way a lot of characters are going to be treating Prompto, especially the OC's that he's been closest to at this point. Other random characters will be changing as well, and that's finally going to be making him come slowly out of his shell. Soon he'll be pretty much be the same lovable, hyperactive dork we all know.**

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 **Next chapter will be explaining some of the things that will be staying the same through the story. I'll be changing a whole lot, so there will be things I'll be keeping the same. Thanks so much for all the support that you guys have been giving me so far. It really means a lot.**


	8. In the Dark

**Here we go with Chapter Eight. There won't exactly be much actually going on this chapter except for explaining a bit more of back story. Some of it will be taken straight from canon or slightly adapted, and other parts of it will pretty much be completely changed. I won't give away all the story's secrets yet, but some pretty important information will be in this chapter. That being said, the next chapter will be a time skip forward to where Prompto's going to be doing some "reconditioning", and you'll see why in this chapter and then another time skip in the next chapter that will take them on their first mission. After that, the actual story starts. So look forward to the "game" portion of the story starting up.**

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 **As for characters like Nyx and stuff, he won't really be showing up all that much. He will be making an appearance, but its going to be very small. The day of the attack on the citadel will be changing as well, but that's a chapter for another time. I hope you guys continue to enjoy this story even with all the changes to canon I'm already making and will be continuing to make. And I hope you think about sticking around for the other parts of this story as well.**

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Chapter Eight: In the Dark

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Getting the bullets taken out wasn't a pleasant experience, mostly because the doctors seemed unsure what dosage of anesthetic they could use without being detrimental to his health. He was almost a little surprised at how patient and calm they seemed from before, and the attention they were giving him. They never seemed to hold it against him when he would growl at them when they tugged at one of the wounds while trying to address the issue, only speaking to him in soothing tones until he calmed back down again and let them continue their work. After that he was told to remain in his daemon form, bedridden, for at least a week and then take it slowly.

More shockingly to the pup was the way that the staff of the castle and other people from the city itself seemed to have changed the way they looked at him. There were kids from the school sending him gifts, not that he knew what to do with them, and various members of the staff would stop by and bow to him, asking if he needed anything. People seemed much more at ease with him. But there was only so much waiting around he could take, and he was quickly growing antsy. Injured though he was, he didn't enjoy being cooped up alone and by himself. Luckily Cor seemed to decide his lessons were more important and managed to convince the doctors to let him join the others again, as long as he stayed laying down.

He walked with a pronounced limp in his left side as he made his way after Cor and down the familiar hallways. People moved out of his way, but not in fear as they had before. Many people even shot him smiles, which he felt uncomfortable with receiving and simply brushed it off, unsure how to respond to them. He continued walking after Cor instead, soon reaching the familiar courtyard where their lessons usually took place. All of the other teachers besides Cor were missing, seemingly content with leaving the children in his "care", or else were busy greeting their "guest" from a few nights prior. What bothered Prompto the most about it was that the man didn't seem very knowledgeable about who he might be encountering? Who would hire someone and not tell them what they were up against? It didn't seem right to him.

Not that he had much time to actually dwell on the fact, since Halia practically ran over to hug him. He flinched away from her sudden appearance, not that she seemed to mind this, as she gently patted his head where she wouldn't hurt him again. Iris soon followed suit, seemingly perfectly happy with welcoming him again. Prompto, while he didn't snap at them, definitely didn't relax under their touch like he would if it were Noctis or Luna petting him (and he wouldn't admit to liking being pet either). Cor seemed to find this amusing and just chuckled to himself. The other children seemed to greet him fondly, seeming to trust him a lot more, and Prompto laid down with his side pressed into Noctis's side, laying his head on his paws.

Who knew that having people treat him more kindly would make him feel so out of his element. He was used to being hated by people, and while he certainly preferred to see them looking at him kindly instead of with hate, but it felt off. He supposed he'd have to get used to it, but he didn't feel like he'd really done anything special. He was just protecting his friends like he had been promising he'd do, if only to himself. Fighting as the Empire had him do, that wasn't the kind of fighting he could stand. He hated hurting people just for the sake of hurting them. Protecting people he cared about though, that he would have no trouble fighting for. As he settled down, Cor walked around in front of the seated children, looking down at them seriously.

"What we're talking about today," he said in a no nonsense tone. "isn't something for the faint of heart. It is not a fun subject to breach, but one you'll need to learn about. Many of your parents, in fact, probably wouldn't be happy I am teaching this to you at such a young age, but in light of recent events and what you'll be facing in the future, I think its necessary."

The way he said it brought Prompto's head back up and his ears forward, sensing that the man's mood had taken a nosedive. The children could read his face, if not the man's mood, and settled down to listen to him. They seemed confused by his tone, but also understood that it was not a time to make jokes or play around. For once all of the young children were quiet and still (something that Prompto knew was no small feat). Even he, as young as he was, sometimes had the urge to just move and expel energy. Most of that had been beaten out of him because of his training as a MT, but not all of it. Cor let out a sigh.

"We're talking about daemons," he said. "And its not pleasant. But I think we'd better start off with a bit of history. Does anyone know how daemons began inhabiting our world?" Ignis raised his hand. "Yes, Ignis."

"Rumors say its a disease of some kind."

"Unfortunately," Cor growled. "It's no rumor. People who are infected by daemons become monsters themselves, and there's no cure. Death is the only mercy. No one's sure why this menace started, however it is believed to have been effecting the world for several hundred years. Daemons are not born, which is what makes Prompto's case an exceptionally interesting one. From what we've heard, he was born a daemon, which may explain his strange fondness for humans, the light he has within him, and all his other various traits. Perhaps the gods themselves created something like him. Who knows?"

Prompto's head tilted without him realizing quite he'd done it. He'd never really thought about it before, but he hadn't heard of any daemons being born, not even from his own Pack (though they hadn't spoken in words). Most spoke of "other lives" and how they were struggling to remember them and how pained they were. Perhaps his birth had either painfully reminded them of their own condition, or they had been scared of him because they still remembered their human lives, if not become far more violent because of the disease. And the fact that daemons were once humans wasn't obviously well known to many people.

All of the kids looked rather ill, including Ignis who had known the information. Noctis shifted closer to Prompto's side, careful not to injure him farther but seemingly either needing his comfort or wanting to protect him. Prompto wasn't entirely sure which it was at the moment since he was getting some rather mixed signals from the whole group. Cor seemed to watch them a moment, then nodded to himself as if confirming something about all of them. He seemed satisfied with all of their reactions to what he had said.

"That is why we kill daemons," Cor explained. "Not just because they are dangerous to us, but because they were once people too, and deserve any mercy we can give them. That is the duty of both the Royal Hunters and the Crownsguard. Do you understand?"

The children all nodded, and the man simply nodded as well. He looked again over the line of children, seemingly rather surprised by their lack of fear when talking about daemons and what they were capable of. Maybe it was the knowledge of what they really were, or that Prompto's actions before had simply given them all a bit of courage. Noctis frowned and ran his fingers through Prompto's fur without seeming to realize that he was doing it. He actually did that a lot when he was concentrating on something or unhappy. With all of this information seemingly sinking in, Cor let out a sigh before turning to look at them.

"Daemons are dangerous," he continued. "They can be crafty and ferocious. Though they'll disappear in the sunlight if it rises, they're powerful and it'll take more than just a few taps to get rid of them. If you come across a daemon you'll have to be ready to fight for your life. If you don't you likely won't be walking away from the fight. That makes MT's, or the Empire's Magitek Troopers, even more dangerous. Their skeletons are reinforced with metal. Their human forms and weapons make them even more powerful. Some, like Prompto, have the ability to change between human and daemon forms, and those are some of the worse. And do you know why?" Again, it was Ignis who raised his hand, this time with a frown on his face. Cor nodded to the boy.

"Because you won't be able to tell if you're facing a regular daemon or a MT," Ignis answered. "MT's won't be killed even if you use the same techniques to kill other beings of their kind. Even if you killed a Thunderdog Prompto's size, you wouldn't kill Prompto in the same way. It would take a lot more firepower, and a lot more strength."

"Right again," Cor said grimly. "MT's are dangerous, and not just because they can use weapons. Most aren't intelligent and will just follow orders they're given, but they're ruthless when doing this. There is a tentative peace between the Empire and Insomnia for now, but there's no telling how long it will last, if it will at all. If I'm going to be training you to face daemons, we'll also be training you to face MT's as well. Once Prompto is back on his feet again, I'm going to show you what he's truly capable of. Prompto, a question. Were they sending you out on missions?"

The question seemed to bring a heavy silence into the air. Most of the children looked confused or genuinely curious about his answer, but Noctis looked even more unhappy at the question, and Ignis had his lips drawn into a tight line as he waited. Cor's grim expression told Prompto that the man knew exactly what that kind of thing would really mean for the young MT. Even as young as he was, he had completed all of his training. That meant that he was going out on missions and fighting for the Empire. It meant he wasn't being coddled anymore, though because of his age and size he was kept away from some of the more extensive battles.

It was part of that reason that had allowed him to escape when they had let him loose in a battle. While he was having his moral debate on the battlefield, other citizens of Nifilhiem were being cut down mercilessly by their ruler and running for their lives. A mother, who had just watched her son being murdered, had attacked the MT's in ferocity, enough so she had actually managed to kill one. As she had found Prompto however she had abruptly froze and then fled the battle with horror on her face. Despite knowing what he was, she was horrified to see a child fighting them. This had finally decided for the pup, who had immediately turned and fled from the battle as swiftly as possible. And no one had tried to stop him.

"Yes," he replied. The man slowly shook his head.

"I thought so," he said softly, turning back to the other children. Ignis didn't look happy either. "I'm not sure you know what that means, so I'll explain. MT's are only sent on missions when they complete their training. However there are many hours and years worth of training crammed into them as quickly as possible. Its brutal and quick, and those that don't make the cut are killed and thrown aside like trash because they can be easily replaced. If you need any evidence of this, you just have to look at the scars he has. Since he completed his training, he was going on missions to kill people and daemons just because the Emperor said it was needed."

The kids looked horrified now, all of their wide eyes turning to Prompto's rather impassive face. He showed no indication that their attention brought him unease, or that he hated to be reminded of the torturous months, possible up to two years he had spent there learning enough fighting ability to put some of the warriors of Insomnia to shame. Noctis quietly wrapped his arms around Prompto's neck, hugging the pup and careful not to cut himself on the spines on his back. Prompto bristled immediately at the sudden touch, but then slowly relaxed. None of the children seemed to hold this against him, now knowing why.

Prompto wasn't the quiet, almost shy child they had grown to know. He was a machine made for nothing short of murder.

He was surprised to see the anger and defiance on their faces though when they heard this, and the….protectiveness? He wasn't sure what to make of it. Did that one act really change their perspective of him so quickly? He wasn't used to people who really changed their minds about him so instantly. Before, Tia's parents and even the rest of their hunter's camp had seemed to hate him until they had decided to try and save him from his fate as a MT. Then there was the Empire himself that didn't seem to care about him either way. Prompto was completely sure that he much preferred Insomnia to the Empire.

"Class is dismissed," Cor said quietly, as if he already knew that he'd given them plenty to think about.

Days passed rather uneventfully after that. Since Noctis and the others were going off to school every day he was left in Noctis's room alone and rather bored. Well, maybe not alone. People often came in to check on him or offer him various little gifts, none of which Prompto knew what to do with. They didn't seem to care when he growled at them for entering the room, or hold it against them when he didn't talk. The only time he got to leave the room was when it was time for training, and Cor mostly just talked Prompto and Noctis through things, now having two injured students.

Not that the other children seemed to mind. Iris immediately begin insisting that everyone call Prompto their friend, to which they all seemed annoyed at first, even to the point where Gladiolus asked why they needed to say it to him. When she reminded them of his background however, they all begin making sure to tell him various things that they thought she could without saying, like constantly reminding him that he was their friend. The thought honestly touched him in a way he didn't understand.

They all began hanging out with him after school, making sure just to sit in the room with him and talk, hanging out or doing homework. They didn't mind when he didn't respond or jumped if they approached too quickly. Soon, despite himself, he found himself relaxing in their presence to the point that if he heard them coming up from behind him he no longer bristled at them or growled if he was surprised by their presence (though if he did they never commented about it). Noctis was pleased about this and often commented about it to Prompto, saying he was glad he knew that he didn't have to always be ready for a battle here and that he could trust them.

Ignis and Prompto began getting along well, since their brains worked in surprisingly similar ways. Prompto was honestly impressed by Ignis's ability to learn and spit out information as quickly as the young MT could. He was of course, human, but there were things that boy knew that even Prompto had never heard of before. That being said, if he spoke those things Prompto absorbed the information like a sponge, and the boy wasn't infallible. Even so, despite his sometimes rather snobbish seeming attitude, he was an easy going soul and easy to get along with.

Gladiolus seemed to enjoy Prompto's company more than ever, going into great pains to explain that his family, the Amicitia, were called the King's shield and had, for generations, been members of their Swordsworn and had been willing to give their very lives to protect their kings. He even thanked Prompto for protecting Noctis when he hadn't been there to do it, telling him he was glad that someone else was keeping an eye on him.

The children didn't seem to think they were making much headway with Prompto and his personality, speaking to each other in undertones about the way that Noctis said he acted when he was completely at ease (not completely off guard, just at ease). He was silly and always smiling, cracking jokes and far more friendly than the child they were used to seeing. It honestly amused Prompto a little that they didn't seem to think their more friendly behavior had put him at ease at all. He could definitely tell the difference, but they kept trying.

Eventually they did make him feel at ease enough to begin seeing that transformation. Around strangers, he still wasn't at ease or willing to just display a more easy going side, at least not yet, but he was plenty comfortable around them. When Ignis began talking about a very specific weakness of Thunderdogs while the children had all gathered in Noctis's room to do their homework and make sure Prompto didn't fall behind since he couldn't write in this form, he finally made a joke. Ignis mentioned that if Prompto ever got stuck on his back and those spikes got stuck in the ground he would be vulnerable to attack (which obviously worried his new friends). Prompto quipped that he felt like a turtle when that happened.

An almost stunned silence had seemed to fall at that point, as if they couldn't believe that he had actually made a joke with all of them around. Noctis on the other hand had started laughing and called him a furry turtle. The children, all in much better humor, had decided to try and get him stuck on his back to see. Prompto hadn't tried to fight them (mostly because it took Gavin and Gladiolus both to tip him onto his back because of how much he weighed), and even Ignis had laughed a while before warning them to put him right side up without hurting him again. The housekeeping was far less amused by the holes torn into the flooring by this little joke.

Soon after, all the children started calling Prompto "Prompt" like Noctis used as his nickname, and insisted that he call all of them by their nicknames. With his return to health slowly on the way (though certainly much faster than any human), he was allowed back into his human form and sent back to school with the others. Though he was still uncomfortable around strangers, he was slowly becoming more expressionate at school and beginning to understand concepts like fun and art. It was a slow process, but even the teachers and other students could see that he was slowly becoming more like a normal child.

It wasn't until the day that he was fully returning to classes however that Prompto began to feel uneasy. There were rumors going around that some old soldier from the Empire had escaped prison where he had been locked away. It was all hushed, but it was said that even the Empire hadn't tried to ask them to negotiate his release. With a terrible crime that no one talked about under his belt, the whole thing had everyone on edge. Even Cor, who had apparently been wanting to show the kids what someone like Prompto was capable of, seemed on edge.

The children were once again gathered at his feet, murmuring quietly to one another and waiting for him to say something. Cor's eyes were hard and his body language told Prompto that he was alert, which in turn was beginning to make the boy bristle as well. He could sense danger in the air, lapping at them like it was going to explode into violence at any moment. Prompto hated moments like this, when things were tense right before a battle. Learning patience to not strike before your opponent was something that didn't come easily, and it made waiting even more stressful for the young pup. Seeing his distress, Noctis scooted a little closer.

"Why's everyone so on edge?" Gavin scoffed. "It's one soldier."

"Never underestimate your opponent," Ignis scolded quietly.

"Well," Halia said, looking unsure what else to say. "it's not like he could manage to do anything, right? I mean, he is just one guy."

"Prompto?" Noctis asked quietly. "What's wrong?"

Prompto didn't move and didn't respond either way, not that this seemed to make Prompto any happier about the situation. His eyes began scanning the area carefully though he wasn't entirely sure why. In the corner he saw an unfamiliar man wearing familiar armor carefully hidden in the corner. He was an old man, bent a little with age but with cunning and cruel eyes. A twisted smile touched his face as he saw Prompto there, sitting in the middle of the children, and the MT felt his blood run cold as he saw the man. The children noticed his expression of horror before the man stood and barked out a command into the air.

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 _Blood. Pain. Tearing and slashing. Destruction._

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Prompto wasn't aware that he had transformed into his daemon form, but when he blinked and found himself coming to, he was aware that Gavin and Gladiolus had thrown their combined weight over him, and one of their arms had his muzzle pinned shut on the ground. Confused, he blinked and looked around what little of the room he could see, wondering why they were doing that. He could see red in his vision. His eyes traveled a little to the left and saw…

The other children gathered around Noctis, who was laying on the floor. He wasn't moving, but there was plenty of blood. _His_ blood. Noctis was hurt! Prompto could see Ignis, closer than the rest of the group. He'd lost his glasses somehow, and he looked more disheveled than normal. His eyes were wide and his hands were raised, as if to fend off some kind of attack. He was breathing heavily and looked hurt.

He became aware of the sound of far too familiar moaning, from people who had been hurt. He saw Iris glance towards him, and all recognition had left her face. She just stared at him, horrified of the monster she had just seen. Prompto found his paws and face sticky, and a far too familiar, sickly sweet taste of blood had filled his mouth. Blood filled his nose, and it was all he could smell. His eyes widened as he realized why. He'd hurt them. That man had done the one thing that could have ever made Prompto hurt Noctis.

He had said the word that instantly got Prompto to attack.

Evidently, Ignis had done enough research to actually know the word that would bring him back to his right state of mind, not that this did any good now. He could feel the pressure that Gavin and Gladiolus were putting onto the back of his skull despite the fact that he was no longer fighting them. He could see the way the others were looking at him. They all hated him now, and he couldn't blame them. How could he have been so stupid to actually think that he could ever change the monster that he had become.

"Kill him," Cor snapped somewhere to his right.

For a few brief and horrible moments Prompto thought he meant him, and he was fine with that. He wasn't going to move if they ended his miserable existence right now. He probably deserved that. No, he almost wanted it. He didn't want to think that he'd hurt Noctis. He didn't want to see how much that they all hated him now. But instead the various members of the Crown's Guard present attacked an old man, quickly executing him. Slowly, silence fell, the most horrible silence that Prompto had ever heard in his short life.

Prompto wasn't sure when he started trembling, aware that his short tail was shoved so far between his legs now that everyone could see it. The same thing went for his ears, pressed so far against his skull that he was almost surprised that they hadn't torn off. He wasn't aware when Gavin and Gladiolus shifted suddenly, as if in surprise. One of them softly called his name, but he wasn't even sure which one it was. He just wanted to go. He didn't want to be here. How could he trust himself around his own friends if he couldn't control himself when someone said a stupid word? Then a worse thought hit him. They didn't even think of themselves of his friends now, did they?

"Let him go," Cor softly commanded.

There was a moment of hesitation, as if Gavin and Gladiolus were thinking the same things. But they moved, releasing their hold on him. Prompto didn't even pause. He didn't look back and he didn't look at anyone. His eyes were already locked on the door in front of him, which had been opened at some point. He bolted, faster than he had ever run before. He ignored the pain pounding through his body from the obvious pounding he'd taken when they'd tried to get him to stop.

But because of his blind terror and his pain, he didn't judge the distance the turn through the door would take him, causing him to slip and crash into the wall opposite of him. It sent a rack of weapons clattering to the floor on top of him. He didn't care that it was ungraceful and undignified. He didn't care that he was being watched, or that in his panic to run he had sliced Gladiolus and Gavin with the spines on his back when he had taken off. Right now he just had to go. He didn't even know where, he hardly ever ventured to this part of the palace. But he had to go.

He leaped up, ignoring the new wounds he'd just given himself by trying to escape the room where he'd probably just broken every bond he'd ever managed to forge for himself. His only thought was getting as far away as possible so that he wouldn't end up hurting anyone else again. He bolted again down the hallway, dashing past startled people and just running as quickly as he could. He ignored the voices behind him calling his name. He didn't want it anymore, so he ignored the name.

The gods seemed to be playing a cruel game with him though, because he soon found himself lost in the gardens of the palace. He couldn't find an exit, or even where he'd managed to find his way into it in the first place. For the first time, he snarled, snapping at the gods for not allowing him to leave when it was obviously better for everyone. Prophecy or not, he didn't belong here where he could end up hurting his best friend again. Heck, he might have even killed him!

That thought brought despair crashing into the pup so hard that he stopped running. His fatigue and pain finally caught up to him, but he refused to stop. He continued to stumble around through the gardens, searching in vain for a place to escape from the actions he had just taken, even if they were against his will. Unable to find a place, he hid beneath a plant and curled up in a tight ball, doing something he hadn't done in years.

Prompto cried.

It was well into the night, and no one had come looking for him yet. They'd left him alone. He had no way of knowing if Noctis was okay, but he knew the rest of them hated him now. They'd seemed to like him, but now he'd hurt his best friend and them, and there was no way they could forgive him for that. And he'd already been hurt! What if he'd made the other wound worse, and now he couldn't walk? What if he did survive? Thinking of Noctis hating him was worse than thinking of him as being dead. Thinking of Noctis even just being afraid of him was even worse than that.

What seemed like hours later, Prompto managed to stop crying, but the fur on his face was stained darker from the tears that had been previously running down it. He forced himself to stop shaking, to just stop. He ignored the pain and just laid there, curled up, not moving. Maybe they'd be mad at him and find him here to try and kill him or kick him out for good. He could deal with either of those. But obviously it was a very bad idea for him to open up to people if he was just going to get hurt again. He took a deep breath, and just shut himself down behind his walls.

When Cor found him like that, hiding under a bush in the back of the garden, the pup's eyes showed no recognition. In fact, they showed no emotion at all. He didn't say a word, though it was obvious he had been crying for some time and all of the various wounds he'd gotten were covered in dirt and debris. They were probably all infected. Cor bent down and grabbed the pup's front legs, dragging him carefully out from under the bush, and looked into his face for a long moment. Pain seemed to cross through the man's face as the pup looked up at him, nothing showing in his face.

He finally looked like the machine they had wanted.

The man let out a shaking sigh and leaned over the pup, putting his forehead against the pup and holding onto his face gently. Prompto didn't move. He didn't respond. He couldn't bring himself to, despite his confusion at seeing the man look so broken. He didn't want him to be sad for him. He just wanted him to leave him alone and let him forget any of this had ever happened.

"I'm sorry," Cor finally said, and Prompto became aware of a few spare tears that splashed into the top of his head. "I should have known...I should have thought about the trigger words. None of this would have happened if I would have been more careful. But I'm going to fix this, okay? Just trust me. Can you just trust me, a little longer, Prompto?"

"Of course," came the response. It was immediate, snappy like a soldier. It was dry and lifeless, portraying no emotion. Cor's hands tightened slightly around Prompto's face.

"Poor kid," he said quietly, more to himself than the pup in front of him. "sometimes I forget you're so damaged. None of them hate you. They were scared and didn't know what was going on, and Noctis is going to be scared something happened to you when he wakes up. You know that." The man shook his head sadly, releasing Prompto and standing. "But I doubt that's going to help now. I've seen people like you too often. Broken. Abused. It's going to take a long time to take those walls down again, if you ever let them fall."

Prompto looked up at him through the bush, still not showing any emotion or recognition in his eyes. He wanted to believe him, he really did, but he couldn't let himself believe it. And even if it was true, he couldn't let himself hurt anyone else. He didn't want to let his walls fall again, no matter how much it hurt. Cor seemed to know this though, and quickly all tenderness was gone from his face, almost as if it had never existed in the first place.

"Come on," he said. "We're leaving. Follow me."

It wasn't gentle. It was an order, but somehow it made Prompto stand despite his exhaustion and pain, despite the fact that he didn't want to be anywhere near anyone again, and follow the man as he turned and made his way again through the garden. Prompto didn't hesitate to follow the man, despite not wanting to be near people again. Maybe he was going to throw him out? To kill him? What did Cor even mean by trying to fix this? He didn't particularly care at this point, just following the man wherever it was he thought he was going. On the way, they passed one of the Crown's Guard and one of the Royal Hunters, who stared sadly at the pup. He then turned to the Royal Hunter and spoke in an undertone, thought Prompto still heard him clearly.

"I've seen eyes like that before," he said. "In soldiers. In the Crown's Guard. When someone's seen too much and just shuts down because they can't take what they did. Never thought I'd see them on a kid though."

Cor kept walking, leading Prompto through quickly emptying hallways. Soon enough he paused, and Prompto looked up to see the familiar hospital here in the citadel. Despite wanting to frown, Cor's firm gaze kept him walking into the infirmary and jumping up onto the table when directed to. As various doctors starting trying to stave off infection in the dirty wounds and seal them shut (some needed stitches), he didn't wince or make a sound, just staring at the opposite wall.

"What are you going to do with him Cor?" a sad nurse asked.

"The only thing that could ever hope to make him open up again," he said. "We're going to have to recondition him."

Despite the dread that came with the word "recondition" and his frustration that no one was going to let him leave, part of him wanted the man to somehow manage that miracle. He wanted to live a normal life, to at least pretend that his friends didn't hate him now.

Prompto wanted to pretend that his heart wasn't breaking.

* * *

 **Ouch.**

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 **That kind of hurt my soul a little bit. I didn't have inspiration to write this chapter for a little while, so that was part of it. But the other reason I waited so long to actually finish and write this chapter is because of, well, you can see why. I ended up making this full of way more feels than I ever wanted. Help. Anyway, I'll update more when I have more time and I can recover a bit from my heart breaking in this chapter.**


	9. Sleep Soundly

**Let's get right into chapter nine! In this one Prompto will be doing some "reconditioning" and trying to remember to let his guard down sometimes. He will be returning to the happy and friendly goofball we all know and love by next chapter, but that's going to involve a time skip several years down the road. Also, I'm totally unashamed to admit that I've been listening to natewantstobattle's Final Fantasy Fifteen song called "Reclaim Your Throne". It fits so well though.**

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 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and feel free to leave a review down below if you'd like to. I'm going to keep updating this story as I go along, and wish me luck as I work on it more and more. We'll be starting the actual storyline of the game (changed once again because this is an AU), but hopefully you guys will continue to enjoy!**

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Chapter Nine: Sleep Soundly

* * *

Prompto became aware again of hitting the ground hard and tumbling away, forcing himself to not whimper because of the fresh pain coursing through his body. He knew people were watching him, hoping that he would get better. It had already been weeks, but he wasn't getting any better at finding out how to train himself to ignore the word that the Empire had drilled into his head to make him attack without hesitation and become like the mindless machines that everyone thought they were. Only higher ranking officials in the military knew what those handful of words were that would make an MT attack and lose themselves, but it was still far too many.

Cor watched him stand again on his shaking paws, breathing heavily but turning to face the man again. It was one of the few times the frustration or pain would show on his face, when he looked at the man with determined eyes that simply and silently said "do it again" despite how hurt he was from the man's attacks. Cor was good, but even he had been hurt a few times by Prompto when the man muttered the word to the daemon. Not that this seemed to change the man's mind or make him any less willing to try and help the boy.

Prompto wasn't sure how much time had actually passed, and he'd never asked. He was afraid to ask what had happened to Noctis, more terrified at the thought of the boy fearing him or hating him now that he had actually hurt him to even bring himself to ask if he was okay. The pup had no idea how any of his actions had affected the children he'd let himself become friendly with, and he didn't care.

Right now, if he couldn't get his own mind under control then he wasn't going to be comfortable with letting himself around people again. So he didn't mind the terrible training that Cor was putting him through to try and train him to ignore the trigger word when spoken, nor the fact that they repeated the brutal training everyday. He'd still endured worse in Nifilheim.

There were people apparently worrying that Cor was being too cruel to Prompto, having him locked up away from where others could see, having only a few other members of the Crown's Guard nearby in case Prompto at any point got too much to handle while he wasn't in his right mind. Whether or not they were making any progress was Prompto's only concern however. And besides, Cor certainly wasn't cruel by any means to the pup, and he was hyper aware of it now as the man's concerned frown centered on the tiny pup again.

Sighing, the man's weapon disappeared in a flash of blue light, something that he had explained as the same pocket dimension that Noctis and he would be using (much to Prompto's unease). Whether it was because he was one of King Regis's Swordsworn or just because he had the ability, he never said. Slowly he sat down against the wall. Long furrows had been cut into the stone quite some time ago from one of Prompto's attacks where he had apparently tried to gouge the man's innards out by slamming his back into his chest.

"Let's take a break," Cor said quietly.

Prompto stared at the man for a long moment, quickly reigning in his emotions behind the mask again without saying a word. He really didn't want to stop, but his exhaustion was going to start winning out sooner or later, and there was no pushing Cor into doing something that he didn't want to do. Slowly, Prompto crossed the space between them and slowly laid down, relieved to take the weight off of his aching paws for a while.

He left enough space between them that if he didn't want to touch the pup, he wouldn't. But he was already aware that the man wasn't just going to leave Prompto alone as he had done before. When the pup sat down, nearly immediately the man's calloused hands started running gently through the soft fur on the Thunderdog's back, careful not to aggravate any of the wounds that the pup had already sustained.

Prompto hadn't even been aware that Cor could be gentle at all. Maybe it was something about his stern face or powerful attacks, or maybe it had just been because he just didn't really seem like the kind of person to be careful around others. Even so, his eyes left no room for argument whenever the pup looked up at him, so though Prompto bristled a little at first he soon returned to a more relaxed (if not more exhausted) posture than before. For a long while the man said nothing, just watching Prompto for a long while.

"Better," the man remarked. "You're doing well Prompto. Still, you need to let yourself relax more. What happened is not your fault." When the pup didn't respond, he chuckled a little dryly. "You know, your friends keep asking about you whenever they see me. Iris is practically demanding that I take it easy on you. Noctis on the other hand is worried I'm going to run you into the ground. Despite how much I remind them that you were trained in Nifilheim, they still want to make sure that you're okay. No one hates you Prompto."

This finally got the pup's attention. He wanted to believe the man, he really did. But his eyes were just deeply confused when he met Cor's again. Prompto had been around the hunters before, and it had taken so many times for him to get them to relax around him even a little bit. Any sort of tiny mistake on his part would bring them right back to square one, and this was so much worse than anything he'd ever done before. How was he supposed to just expect them to forgive something like that? Besides if the Empire had found out...well actually they'd probably forgive him for running away in the first place and then reward him again.

"Everything's going to be fine," he said. "No one was seriously hurt during that whole thing. Well, no one except you. I can't get people to stop asking how you're doing either. Listen, I'm not saying its going to be easy, but you're going to have to learn to trust yourself, got it? You're not a soldier anymore, at least not in the same way. You're the best friend to so many of those kids. You're not the monster they made you into. And I'm going to prove that to you, but you're going to have to keep working with me, all right?"

Prompto didn't respond to him, but the man seemed to nod as if he did. It was then however that the door to the room was opened suddenly, making Cor tense and Prompto's ears twitch. The sound of a heavy limp soon greeted the Thunderdog's ears however and he simply looked up as King Regis came slowly into the room. Cor quickly relaxed as well when he saw the king, looking at him questioningly as the old man offered them both a small smile. Without saying a word the man came closer to the two of them.

"How are things going?" he asked. Cor let out a quiet sigh.

"Better than before," he said. "But well, getting him to come back out of his shell again is going to take much longer."

"Allow me to speak to the boy for a while," the King said kindly. Cor gave the man a strange look, but then nodded.

"As you wish," he said. "your majesty."

Cor stood from where he had been sitting on the floor next to the pup and then turned and made his way out of the room and closing the door behind him. This left Prompto alone with the king, who looked much older than when he had met him. Smiling still and obviously struggling a little with it, the man slowly slid down next to him. For a while he sat there in silence as the king simply let the pup slowly relax a little more in his presence. The kindly smile never left his face, and honestly it was confusing for the young pup. What was he supposed to think? That things were going to be okay? Despite his reluctance to do so, he felt his mask slipping.

"Your eyes are old," the king remarked. "Older than they should be. Such is the way of the world, with cruelty around every corner. However I don't believe that you should blame yourself for what happened. No one else does. After all, you've hardly led a life that we could fault you for. Your life has always been surrounded by darkness. I must ask though that you don't dwell on it. You are full of such light after all."

The king reached over and laid his hand on the pup's head, not stroking him like others had done before, but just leaving it there as if to comfort him. Prompto liked the contact, like the king was treating him like someone who deserved his respect instead of some pet. Then the ring on his hand suddenly flared to life, and Prompto felt the alien being that was the Crystal of Lucis. Though the pup jumped in surprise, the light playfully twirled around his own, reaching towards him. As the light seized him Prompto's eyes widened as images flashed by in his mind.

Iris was crying. Halia kept looking at his empty desk. Gavin punched a wall as Gladiolus looked absolutely furious. Ignis looked rather thoughtful as Yvis kept running his hands through his hair (a nervous habit maybe?). Mitos was jumping at shadows and Noctis looked concerned more than anything. There were other images, of people he recognized and those he'd never seen before. The light, though it did not speak, left him with one single impression from the images. Everyone was worried. About him. No one blamed him. They wanted him back.

The thought was a foreign concept to the young Thunderdog. He'd never really been wanted before. Tia of course had liked to keep him near and had always been determined to protect him and keep him safe, but that was different. He'd never messed up this badly before. And yet, they had forgiven him. It wasn't something he was really accustomed to. What was he supposed to say to something like that? A frown touched his face as the king chuckled. It wasn't a patronizing sound, rather one of sympathy. Slowly, Prompto looked at him.

"You know why you are different from others of your kind, don't you?" the king asked. "You have light. You've spent too long focusing on the darkness of your own mind, rather than the good that you have. Remember the light, Prompto. And you will always find your way."

For a long moment, Prompto was just quiet and didn't say anything. He wanted him to remember the light? It was difficult to forget all of the bad things that had happened, all of the painful lessons that had already been drilled into his head. But then he found himself feeling a sudden inspiration taking hold of him, even as the man removed his hand and the light of the Crystal retreated with it. What if instead of trying to force his body to relearn a command he had beaten into him, he stopped focusing on the word itself, and focused on the light in his own mind?

It was worth a shot, trying to pull from the light in his own mind to rewrite the pain that made him feel he needed to attack when he heard the word. As the king slowly stood again and began to make his way out of the room, Prompto frowned again. The brutal methods the Empire used to train their MT's was an unfortunately effective one.

The word would be used and they would then be commanded to attack. Even if they did attack, they would be beat mercilessly and the word would be repeated. Eventually after so many repetitions of this, the MT's mind would eventually shut down at the word and they'd become so fearful they would attack everything in sight not wearing a military uniform of the Empire. It was a dark and brutal method. So in theory, light could reverse it. It certainly wouldn't be an easy path, especially considering the fact that they would have to undo years of fear and pain that wouldn't ever just go away. But Prompto was willing to try.

He wanted to believe that what he saw was real, that everyone wanted him back. He honestly didn't know what to think, or what he was supposed to do. How could he forgive himself for hurting them like that? Still, even as the king left and Cor returned to the room, giving the pup a rather mournful look, he clamped down hard on the idea. Even if it was fake, it would give him the strength to do this so there might one day be a chance that they could forgive him. He focused on the feeling of the light deep within him, trying his hardest to ignore the word that had been drilled into his head for so long that he became so terrified that he attacked everything he could. He shuddered a little as it brought the word unwittingly to his mind.

Nocte.

Night.

Honestly, he was kind of surprised that the name "Noctis" hadn't set him off every time he had heard the word spoken. He didn't really know why that was, only that it apparently wasn't close enough to set him off. Either way, when Cor latched the door shut again and stood, the pup slowly climbed back to his feet. Cor summoned a large lance, holding it ready in case the pup should attack again. The look on his face was the same as before whenever he was about to say the word to make Prompto lose it. He didn't like doing this anymore than Prompto did, but not because he was scared for his own life.

It was because every time he uttered the word, Prompto looked absolutely terrified before suddenly he screamed and turned into a raging beast that would try to kill him. Despite the fact his mind shut down at this time, he was still cunning and agile, making it even more dangerous for someone to be standing in the room with him when he went into that state. The thought made the pup wince again, trying not to imagine the wounds he'd given the children before. Cor's mouth formed a tight line, and Prompto ceased the light within him as the man uttered the first syllable.

* * *

 _Pain, fear, death, all of it coursed through him, reminding him of...what did it remind him of? Who even was he? He could hear someone screaming (was it him?), he could taste blood and feel pain in his limbs. That didn't matter. He had to attack, he had to make sure he did it right this time or they'd...what would they do? He felt like there was something he was missing, something that he didn't understand or had forgotten. He was too scared to think about it though._

 _He heard a voice, talking to him quietly and soothingly. There was someone else here. He always hated when people were here. He had to hurt them, to kill them, or he'd be...what exactly? He couldn't remember. It was a man, and his voice sounded pained. Not a phsycial pain, more like a mental one. His voice was soft and gentle though, calling to him carefully. He heard no fear or anger in his voice, just care and love. When was the last time he'd felt that? Did he even remember feeling it at all. He could feel his body stumble, and he heard the voice who had been screaming earlier moan in confusion (that was definitely his own voice). It sounded far away, like he was no longer attached to it. Why was everything so far away?_

 _There was light here, soft and dying, but it was there. Every time it almost died, the man would talk again and it would flare back to life suddenly and almost painfully bright before beginning to fade alarmingly fast again. There was a long pause of silence, and he could feel the darkness creeping back in suddenly. The light almost went completely back, and his far away body jerked as he growled menacingly at the man. The light didn't fade completely though, and he was scared. He jerked on it, causing it to flare up again. This time, it didn't fade nearly as fast._

 _The man was gently petting his far away body, ignoring the confused growls and frightened jerks that made him want to run away. Something was familiar about him though, and it was as if his body sensed that too because it didn't flee or attack, as much as he could feel it tensed to do either. For a long while the man just talked to him quietly._

 _Lux._

* * *

Prompto was panting, his head hurt and he didn't remember what had happened. Not a lot at least. He just remembered vague impressions of growling and uneasy jerking in fear. He was almost scared that he'd hurt Cor again until he realized that the man was petting him, murmuring to him quietly and softly. Prompto nearly immediately collapsed, relieved that he was okay. Had it worked? It had at least seemed to help because Cor was okay, and that was honestly a relief in itself. The man reached down, taking the pup's head between his hands and laying his forehead against the pup's panting head, and this time he could hear the old soldier.

"It's okay," he said quietly. "It's okay. You did well, Prompto. I'm so proud of you. We're all proud of you and we just want you to be okay. Take a break, just lie here for a while. Everyone's going to be so relieved that we're making headway."

Prompto was too tired to argue and desperately wished that this was the case. For a while the man just kept stroking him carefully, quietly murmuring him reassurances and at one point even practically begging him to forgive himself, before finally falling quiet. Even then, the man kept a constant presence near the pup, releasing his head but stroking the long yellow fur carefully and quietly. It felt safe and relaxing, and he felt himself drifting off.

Not quite to sleep, but fairly close. It was like his body fell asleep but the light pulsing through him kept his mind aware. He couldn't see anything past his closed eyes, and more alarmingly he couldn't move, but it didn't really scare him as much as it did the first couple of times he'd done it. Even the soldiers of Niffelheim didn't really seem to know what it was. They had wondered if it had been because of the way he was born, because there were few daemons that went into sleep like this, and rarely in the way that he did. If he was pushed to his extreme limits though, it was something that could often happen.

Cor seemed to immediately realize that something was off and quietly swore as he checked the young pup over, he hung limply as he looked him over. The man seemed to be extremely careful and thorough in his search, which only made Prompto hurt more, not that he could whine to let the man know this. Seeing nothing wrong on the outside, the man murmured a spell before slowly running his hand carefully down the pup's back to check if there was anything really wrong with him. Seeming to decide that despite being odd, it was natural, the man let out a quiet sigh before patting the pup, probably with a frown on his face.

Prompto was aware that someone was coming, hearing their footsteps as they made their way closer. It wasn't a soldier, obviously since their footfalls were far too light to be a grown adult. The door opened and he heard a familiar voice gasp in fear as the person looked at them. Unable to respond, he couldn't really do anything as he heard Ignis run over and quickly lay his hands on his back, as if unsure what to do without hurting the exhausted pup more. Cor gently let go of Prompto, most likely to comfort the boy and draw him carefully away from his friend without accidentally making any of Prompto's wounds worse than they already are.

"Prompto," Ignis gasped, with such hurt in his voice that the pup could feel his pain through it.

"He's all right," Cor assured gently. "Just tired. He didn't want to stop until we made some headway. Its okay, some daemons do similar things. He may even be aware that we're here. Try not to make him any more distressed. So Ignis, what are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to be here. You could get hurt!"

"I-I know," the boy said, sounding far quieter and sadder than Prompto had ever heard him. "I just…I had to check on him..." The boy paused, and Prompto felt some of his resistance melt a little then. So they really were worried? They weren't mad? Prompto would have cried if he had been able to at the moment. "A-And I didn't come for just that! I mean...I think I thought of something that could help him..."

"Most of it must be done by Prompto," Cor tried to reason gently to the distressed boy. "There's not much we can do to help."

"I-I know," Ignis insisted. "Just please, let me help. Let us help him. He's our friend, Cor! I don't...I don't ever want to see him scared like that again...We should have been able to protect him..."

Cor was silent, and Prompto's mind was blank suddenly, like he didn't know what to think. They wanted to protect him? Just about a month ago they had been so terrified of him that they'd wanted him dead or gone, away from their prince. And now, they thought that he needed protection? He'd never really though about it like that, but he supposed that there were some things that he couldn't protect his mind against, like those words. Even if he managed to control his mind, there would be little chance that he wouldn't go into a berserk mode if the word was said (just maybe only a more violent and not quiet a "completely lose control" kind of way).

Prompto had always been the one to try and protect others, mostly because even being a small daemon, he was still powerful enough to destroy grown men at his age in battle. Noctis had promised to protect him, something he had been grateful for even if he didn't know how the boy could actually protect him. Now they all wanted to protect him? The young MT finally understood that what he needed protection from wasn't something he could fight with tooth and nail, but rather with his mind, and that was a much harder battle that he'd need help with. Slowly, Prompto heard Cor move, most likely to put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Easy," the man said. "It's going to be all right. Last time, he managed to not attack me. He seemed scared and confused, but he seemed to understand that I wasn't going to hurt him. He's getting better, so you don't have to blame yourselves any more."

"But he shouldn't have had to be so scared," Ignis said, for once sounding like a broken child rather than a smart kid that knew more than he probably should. And that touched Prompto on some deeper level than he'd ever known before. Even Tia had had some reservations around him, so he'd never once heard someone sound so heartbroken for him. "Its just not fair. We'd almost gotten him to open up to us and not be so scared."

"And you'll have the chance again," Cor said soothingly. "I promise. I'll help him get better. Now, what was your idea? I'll see if I can get it to help him. But then you have to leave. It's not safe here, not in the state he's in."

For a while there was silence, and Prompto was heavily reminded that even though they were all so smart, so strong, they were all just kids. Ignis seemed to remember though that his friend needed help and took a deep and shaking breath to steady himself. When he managed it, Prompto heard him push his glasses back up onto his nose, drawing himself up and trying to make himself seem smarter, older, or maybe just calm and in control of the situation so that Prompto would be calm. He wasn't sure which one it was, but it did relax Prompto a little to know that they hadn't given up on him and were still willing to help him.

"Well," he said, trying to sound sure. "we were talking about it, and it seems like the word that triggers him is extremely close to someone's name, and I don't think I have to say who. Why would that not set him off though? Maybe its because he feels safe around Noctis. Maybe he just needs to feel safe, like he can trust someone instead of being afraid of everyone. If they made him so afraid he'd attack everyone in sight, then maybe we need to make sure he can trust us instead of having to be afraid."

Cor was silent, as if weighing his options or considering the idea. Honestly, Prompto was kind of impressed again by Ignis's intellect and with the idea. It was an interesting one, and it would work much better than him trying to hold onto his light, especially if it almost slipped like it had last time. If this worked, and they could convince a terrified MT to trust them to not let him get hurt, then it could be the key to actually solving the problem once and for all, instead of just coming up with some kind of quick fix for a while.

"That," Cor said thoughtfully, obviously knowing fairly well about the brutal training methods of the Empire. "that could actually work. I'll give it a try when he's rested up a bit. He's already done well, so he deserves a break, even if he doesn't want to take it. Next time, I'll try to reach him like that. Maybe it'll help. He seemed to respond a little to me last time when I talked to him, like he knew he recognized me. Ignis, thank you. But go. I've got enough to worry about here. I'll let all of you know how he's doing later today. Just make sure no one else comes in here."

"Yes sir," Ignis said quietly, pausing long enough to most likely look at the pup, before turning and walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Cor let out a sigh, sounding just as tired as Prompto felt. He made his way over to the pup though, sinking to the ground and gently stroking his back as he sat there and quietly rested his own body since Prompto was out of commission for a while. The pup couldn't help but feel a little hopeful as the man rested though, hopeful that things could finally work out for the better. He was glad that they all still thought of him as a friend, and touched that they were willing to help him after all of that. Now he just had to wait until his exhaustion passed enough he could move again.

The chance to try didn't come for several more days, because even after Prompto "woke up" again and Cor found out he had been able to hear him, the man refused to try again until he was sure that Prompto could stay on his feet and not be so exhausted that he ended up falling again. Cor really didn't want to hurt his young student any more than necessary, and he apologized profusely for pushing him so hard and not letting him get proper rest. Prompto was still determined to get a handle on his mind though before he'd let anyone else near him, so he refused to rest until his wounds were healed too. Cor did eventually convince him to rest until his exhaustion was finally gone, so it was about four days later when they found themselves again in that room.

"Okay," Cor said, gently and kindly to the nervous pup. "let's go again. Remember what you did last time, and what else you can do to help. Then, I need you to focus on me, if at all possible. Just me. It's going to be all right."

Prompto nodded slowly, but he couldn't help but look scared, even knowing that the man was about to say that stupid word again. This time, Prompto focused carefully on the light in his head, trying to figure out what he did wrong. He'd been holding onto it so fiercely, but it had still almost slipped away from him. Maybe he just needed to trust that it would come to help him. This time, he closed his eyes and just focused on the light, tapping into it naturally and letting it flow through him. As he did, he almost started at the feeling of power running through him, a power that was unlike any other he had felt before. Like there was something else there. He didn't have time to ponder it before Cor uttered that word.

* * *

 _Everything was kind of blurred, as if it was far away, but he could still see it. Even his body and mind seemed far away, as if he was missing something. There was a man in front of him, talking in soothing and gentle tones. He couldn't quite hear the man's words, but he recognized his face and his voice. The man moved slowly, purring gently to him in a way that confused him. He snarled and flinched back from him, roaring in anger at him whenever he came too close. He was confused and conflicted. Part of him told him he had to attack, the other made him pull back in terror at the very idea of hurting this man. What ended up happening was he froze instead._

 _He roared again, and the door opened suddenly, making Prompto snarl and whirl to face it, stalking forward as he saw a small shape in the door. It was a boy, much smaller than the man, and his mind immediately clicked that this boy was the easier target. The boy shifted nervously at his growling as he drew closer, and he could hear the man's voice become almost panicked as he saw the boy, trying to get him to say something. Prompto got closer, quickly noticing that this boy seemed almost more in focus than anything else. Then a single name came to mind._

 _Noctis._

 _The world came crashing into focus, and Prompto was aware who he was growling at and froze, still snarling. Noctis didn't look scared, which scared Prompto more because he could feel that he was still scared, that he needed to attack something and kill it, almost like his mind couldn't suppress the killer urges they had shoved into his head. He wasn't sure how long he could keep himself from leaping onto something, how long he had until he slipped back into the darkness. Noctis's lips set into a tight white line on his face._

" _Prompt," he called softly, getting the pup's undivided attention, even if he was snarling at him. "it's me, Noctis. See, I'm okay. Let me help you, please. Just trust me."_

 _There were more people coming, the other children (and a flustered looking Ignis, who had probably been trying to get them to not come down the hallway. They all froze abruptly when they saw the snarling Thunderdog, and that bothered Prompto, somewhere in the back of his mind. His head snapped in their direction and he snarled. Ignis opened his mouth to speak, but paused as Cor began waving him off, pointing silently to Noctis and telling them all to be still and quiet. Slowly, the prince raised a hand and began coming towards the Thunderdog, who took a step back and roared, mentally screaming at them to leave._

 _He didn't want to hurt them, not again. Couldn't they see this wasn't helping?_

" _Easy," Noctis said quietly. "its okay." Prompto snarled and turned his head slowly to the boy again, watching him carefully. "I'm not scared of you Prompto, so you don't have to be scared of me. Do you remember my promise? I'm going to keep it. Just trust me."_

 _Noctis was moving closer, within distance that the frozen pup could reach out and snap at him, hurt him again. Every instinct told him that this was what he needed to do. Or was it learned? Could he forget it? He honestly didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Cor and the guards at the door had their weapons ready, not wanting to hurt the pup, but knowing they might have to in order to make sure he didn't hurt anyone and make himself more miserable for it. Prompto stared at Noctis, still snarling and showing all of his teeth. It made him look even more terrifying._

" _Trust me," Noctis almost seemed to beg._

 _It was almost comical for Prompto to think about, that this boy who was currently walking up towards a MT currently in its berserk mode and asking it to trust him. Shouldn't he be the one that was scared? When he met his eyes though, he didn't see any fear, just determination. Honestly, Prompto was more touched than ever, especially after he had hurt his best friend so badly. He still trusted him? Prompto knew that he trusted Noctis, but he had never expected for any human to see the worst side of him, the side that humans had created, and still be so desperate to help him and befriend him. The pup just paused, unable to keep from snarling._

 _However he no longer had to slam down on his need to attack or maim something. No, it was as if somewhere in the back of his head, the place where he was still absolutely terrified, he understood that Noctis was his pack mate and would help him. That he didn't have to be afraid because he would let him know who was his foes and who his friends were. Which was good, because if this happened again, he knew he wouldn't have time to prepare and call forth his light to help him keep his mind in tact, not even a little. He'd have to retrain himself to accept the assurances of his friends instead of the fear in the back of his head. That fear was probably never going to go away, not without many years and lots of hard work._

 _He was almost surprised to feel Noctis lay his hand against the top part of his nose, touching it gently and carefully. It was a lot of trust to put into Prompto, that he wouldn't freak out and bite him. The pup practically roared his displeasure at the sudden contact at the prince, bristled and ready to strike at any moment. His eyes still retained their beast like traits, nothing gentle or protective about them like they had seen before, and his body did not relax. But it showed that Noctis trusted Prompto too, enough to know that the pup wouldn't tear him apart now that he'd begun making progress. Now that Noctis understood what had happened, he was more than willing to help._

 _Prompto let out another growl, but his snarl relaxed just slightly under his touch, as if some part of his brain was telling him that he did trust him, and that he wouldn't hurt him. When Prompto didn't move under the touch and didn't attack, all of the humans in the room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and relax a little bit. Noctis gave Prompto a gentle smile, not at all afraid of his friend, and Cor seemed to slowly relax. The only one who didn't completely relax was Prompto, but the pup was also fairly certain that all of the humans in the room (even the soldiers, though they tried to hide it) were giving him rather pitying looks and didn't blame him for it._

" _Lux," Cor whispered, not wanting to take any more chances with it._

* * *

Prompto immediately felt himself relax, and he could feel his own fear ebb away too as his mind came back to him, as well as his body. As his fur laid down, he let out a whine and stepped back from Notics, only for the boy to follow and throw his hands around his neck, just holding him. Prompto found himself stuck between running and hiding in a corner so that he wouldn't hurt anyone again, or just sitting there and letting his friend give him the comfort he so desperately needed. Cor turned instead to give the children a reproachful look, especially Ignis, who was shifting nervously from foot to foot as if unsure how to react.

"And what did I say about coming here?" Cor asked dangerously.

"We just wanted to see how Prompto was doing," Iris cried in defense of her friends, pouting at the man.

"It was my idea," Noctis said quietly, as if afraid of spooking Prompto. "Ignis was telling us to come back and we didn't listen. So if anyone gets in trouble, it should be me."

Cor turned and looked at the boy, hugging the obviously confused and conflicted pup, but none of the kids really looked like they were upset about what they did or wanted to do it differently. They wanted nothing more than to help their friend. Slowly, the man ran a hand over the top of his head and let out a sigh. When he looked up, his eyes were less severe, but still stern. All of the kids shifted from foot to foot, except for Noctis, who had his head buried in Prompto's chest and wasn't looking up, maybe because he was already waiting for the earful he was about to receive.

"You all know," the man said in a growling tone. "that disobeying a commanding officer can be considered treason, right?" they nodded, and the man looked him over. "Its a good thing I don't pay much attention to that kind of thing. I understand what you were trying to do, and I'm not happy with it, but I understand why. Leaving a comrade behind is never an option. Just make sure next time when you risk your necks, you don't almost get yourselves killed doing it."

The kids were all too relieved about Prompto's slow but steady recovery to really care much about the trouble they were currently in. Noctis just continued to bury his face into the MT's chest, his grip tight enough to tell Prompto that he definitely didn't want to let him go. All of these children, giving him sad smiles, were telling him that they wanted nothing more than to bring any sort of gentleness back to him, that they wanted him to be comfortable with them. Prompto almost wanted to cry right then and there.

Who knew that after all this time, he'd actually have friends?

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 **Sorry for a somewhat lame ending and that I took so long, but I really didn't know what I was wanting to really do with this chapter and it took way too long with vacations and things this summer. Anyway, now that everything is kind of just simmering down I've managed to put this together finally and get it uploaded for you guys (a little later than I thought I would since there's a thunderstorm going on outside and I can't actually post for a while when the storm is happening. Whoops).**

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 **Anyway, by the time this chapter would have gone up, I'll have actually started the chapter by the time this one goes up. In the next one we'll see Nyx just a little bit, as well as Cindy and Cid will come in. Obviously Nyx is important but he won't really appear again, and Cindy and Cid will be really important for later in the actual story of where the game starts. Fun! Anyway hope you're enjoying so far!**


	10. Monsters of Men

**Here we go with chapter ten. Those of you who are wanting the story to actually get started are in luck. This is the last chapter before we do a huge time skip and the storyline of the game actually starts. So don't worry, things will actually get going soon, but I wanted to set up a few relationships and some more characters that will appear later. As for the fates of all the main characters, well keep reading.**

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 **Anyway, if you guys are as ready as I am, we'll get on with the next chapter. Hope you're enjoying the story, and feel free to leave me a review down below!**

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Chapter Ten: Monsters of Men

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Crystalline blue eyes kept trailing over the two of fifteen year olds as they were ready to begin their first mission as Royal Hunters. He wore black, often typical of the Glaives that were ready around the castle of their king's command, and as pleasant as the man was, Prompto sometimes wished he would just back off. Though he wasn't quite to the point of groaning about it every few steps. The young man's brown hair was perfect, as always, and he was covered in small and subtle tattoos, including a "crow's foot" on his right cheek, and a line and a dot under his left eye. He had markings on his ears, a line down his neck, one around his right leg and a line down his middle finger of his left hand, and another down his forefinger on his right hand.

Prompto couldn't help but start chuckling as his friend continued to groan about needing an escort like Nyx Ulric following them around, not caring that the amused man could clearly hear them from where he was in the front of the car. Obviously, Noctis wasn't happy about being denied any sort of sleep now that they had left the confines of royal city of Insomnia behind them, and he was eager to get to Hammerhead where the actual report had come in. The sun would be going down soon, and even Prompto didn't want to be out in the middle of no where when daemons could easily be appearing at any moment. Nyx seemed completely at ease behind the wheel of the car though and just smirked at Noctis's newest remark.

"We'll be there soon enough," Nyx assured the young prince again. "Besides, I doubt I'll have to step in. You two were trained by Cor himself, I hear. They'll be hard pressed to get you. I'm just here in case any daemons too big for you too to handle should pop up, and that shouldn't be many, considering Prompto's size."

That wasn't an exaggeration. Prompto's human form was still small, shorter by than Noctis and not that intimidating looking though he did have some visible muscle. He had started styling his hair a little, spiking it up in the front a bit, but he wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do with the rest of it. Noctis on the other hand was the mysterious handsome type that all the girls seemed to swoon over, though he had a habit of sleeping in the day and acting lazy. Prompto had grown to be the best photographer Noctis actually knew (not that it was a large number) and he was now a lot more hyperactive than before. More friendly too. It only took a few years to drag him out of that shell again though, to which his friends were pleased.

Honestly, if someone would have gone up to Prompto years ago and told him how much of a hyperactive goofball he was going to end up being, he probably would have worried for their mental health and tried to take them to see a doctor. He had never before experienced the kind of forgiveness and willingness to help that his friends continued to display, and it had finally gotten him to come around to being absolutely overly friendly towards people, strangers too.

A lot of people underestimated him because of his rather goofy and playful nature, but there was always something in his eyes that spoke of the creature he really was. The MT was never really gone, but its services were no longer called upon regularly so it remained hidden for the most part. But everyone of his friends knew that it was still there, ready to be unleashed at any moment. His instincts were not easily fooled.

Maybe that was the only reason he and Noctis were being let out here to such a dangerous area with only Nyx to accompany them and keep them out of trouble. It was almost alarming how many people either didn't remember or didn't know the creature he actually was. They acted like he'd always just been a child living near Noctis instead of the invader that had accidentally happened upon this point in his life. Then again, perhaps "accident" wasn't the right word for this. Maybe it was more of a fate kind of thing, especially considering the whole prophecy that they had been told. Thinking of it still made Prompto shudder, and of course he had long committed it to memory with an accuracy that would have impressed Ignis. Noctis seemed to have forgotten most of it, but he didn't ever have to ask anyone about it except Prompto. He could repeat it with ease.

Tearing his thoughts away from that, he instead turned it towards other things, like his friend's amusing sleeping habits. Noctis had taken to becoming almost nocturnal, sleeping often when Prompto was most comfortable with sleeping. Since Prompto had once been a daemon, he preferred to be more active at night. While at first it had mostly been to comfort his friend, it had quickly become a habit that the others looked on as a "bad habit". They didn't blame Prompto of course, seeing how it was in his nature to sleep more during the day even if living with humans made him more adaptable to their schedules, his natural instinct was to move during the night and avoid daylight despite the fact that it no longer hurt him.

It also didn't help that Noctis had quickly learned how to crawl up on top of Prompto when he was taking his more natural naps during the day without waking him up. How he managed to do that when Prompto was such a light sleeper was kind of a mystery to everyone, including the MT. Especially since Prompto took up most of Noctis's room now. Good thing the ceilings were high enough to house his daemon form comfortably for a long while yet. He was now coming close to weighing about half a ton, and he stood as tall and as long as the car they were riding in to the shoulder. His head rose just higher, and the plates on his back rose to the same height. He was still small for his species, but an intimidating creature all the same.

No longer the size of a large dog, he no longer walked through the hallways or the citadel itself because he didn't really fit anywhere in his daemon form anymore. When he did change forms, people in Insomnia jumped and turned to look, before smiling and turning away like he was someone's overly large pet. He doubted people outside of the city would be so forgiving of his nature, especially out here where there wasn't a huge wall built to protect the people from the daemons that were running loose through the world. He would have to be more careful about it. The last time he had been on a training mission he had changed to his daemon form and only the fact that Noctis was riding around on his back like an overly large horse kept him from being attacked. News had spread a little of the strange team, but there was no telling how people would act.

Their new mission was out around Hammerhead, and they were driving out kind of late considering the fact that their targets were daemons and not the normal kind of monsters you could find out in this area. Those were the kinds that destroyed habitats and attacked travelers, much more mild nuisances than the daemons that killed humans and then dragged their corpses off to do whatever it was they did to turn them into daemons. At least with monsters, even the more vicious ones that ate people, there was some sort of comfort in knowing that they wouldn't become monsters that remembered their old lives but couldn't help themselves from killing. It was a terrible disease with no cure except the release of death, and that was the only comfort they could give them.

Still, because their quarry only came out at night, Prompto and Noctis had been selected. With both having more nocturnal tendencies at this point, they wouldn't get tired during their first mission and risk getting hurt because of that, and Prompto's nature meant that unless he changed into his more human form or Noctis was spotted while following or riding him, the daemons would assume he was simply a strange daemon and leave him be. It was a much better form of protection than anything else any of the newly graduated recruits had.

Shifting slightly in his seat, he peered out at the desert landscape, looking at the large garage and small gathering of shops and diners, as well as a few places to live that made up Hammerhead before them. It was easy to miss, especially next to a sprawling utopia free of daemons like the city of Insomnia. Honestly the Lucians had it much easier than anywhere else in the world, and he knew this would really be Noctis's first glimpse of how bad it could be. Only a few higher level daemons, like the one that had killed Noctis's mother and very nearly killed him, could ever hope to make it into the city of Insomnia. Places like Hammerhead were small and nearly constantly lit because they were always covered in daemons.

"This is it?" Noctis asked, sounding curious. Perhaps in another life, where Prompto had been brought into his life much later or in a much different way, he would have sounded more condescending. He was the prince of a kingdom behind a wall after all. As it was however, he sounded far more concerned than stuck up.

"It is," Nyx replied, glancing over the small city, a frown gracing his features.

Prompto's eyes immediately made out that there was a fuss going on. What appeared to be a group of people had gathered around someone, who was laying on the floor and looking very injured. One person in particular caught Prompto's attention however. He was an old man, small and beginning to be bent with old age. His lined face didn't distract from the white hair, or the steely brown gaze he fixed them all with as the car pulled to a stop. Wearing all red and a baseball cap, and smelling strongly of grease, he turned and made his way over to the car, looking the three of them over. His eyes lingered the longest on Noctis, and then on Prompto, as if he was sizing the two of them up.

"So," the man said in a gruff voice. "this is the prince and his pet MT?"

Nyx shifted uncomfortably, seeming to recognize the man and unsure if he should say something. Noctis on the other hand immediately sat up and his brows furrowed at the insult towards his friend. Really, Prompto didn't really care anymore, but Noctis -along with the rest of his friends- had grown extremely protective of him. They knew he could take care of himself, but they wouldn't let any attack on him, mentally or otherwise, go unpunished or unchallenged. Even after so long, it still touched him in a way he couldn't quite explain. He placed a hand on Noctis's shoulder, but his dark haired friend shrugged it off.

"Prompto's my friend," Noctis growled. "Not some dumb animal. So don't talk like he is one."

Now the man, along with several of the residents who had been listening but pretending not to, paused and looked up at the boy. The man's eyes were rather blank now, as if he was sizing up Noctis. This finally made Prompto respond, and he began to bristle just slightly. Nyx, now noticing this, let out a quiet sigh as if this wasn't something he didn't know to expect when they got here. Finally the old man gave them what could have passed for a grudging smile, though Prompto wasn't likely to relax any time soon until Noctis finally did. He had seemed to rub him the wrong way, and that didn't help Prompto to relax.

"Take it easy, boy," the man grunted. "Didn't mean no harm by it. Besides, looks like you two're pretty close already. So, you're who they send out? The name's Cid, boy. Better remember it."

"What's going on here?" Nyx asked, glancing over at the man lying on the ground. He seemed concerned about it, but this close Prompto could tell the man was already dead.

"This fella?" Cid asked, glancing back at it. "Looks like he got to close to a bunch o' monsters. He and his wife were attacked. They had a girl with 'em. Out there this late? Probably gonna be daemon food."

This obviously didn't sit well with Noctis or Nyx, and it made Prompto shift uneasily. It was the way of life out here, but Noctis and Prompto had both been trained to be Royal Hunters. That meant they took out monsters and daemons that plagued an area to keep the people who lived their safe. Even if this family wasn't from around here, it was their job to keep the members of their country safe. The kingdom of Lucius extended far beyond the walls of the Crown city of Insomnia, and it was their duty to protect these people. Prompto slowly glanced over at Noctis, seeing that his face had darkened a little with the thought that a girl was out there, probably hurt, and maybe even all alone as nightfall approached.

"Did he say where before he died?" Prompto asked.

Prompto's voice seemed to surprise everyone, and many people jumped. Nyx and Noctis however quickly picked up the fact that Prompto had realized the man was dead. They didn't question him though, knowing his instincts were by far better than their own. Cid too seemed to watch Prompto for a long moment, as if wondering what he was trying to do. Finally though he grunted and nodded with his head towards the man.

"Out north o' here," the man said. "In the desert a ways and by an old shack. That's where you'll find 'em, if ya can. Any reason why though?"

"Its our job," Prompto replied. "both since Noctis is future king of Lucius, and because I know what daemons are capable of more than anyone else."

"Hm," Cid replied, seeming to nod to himself. "There may be hope for you yet boy. Goin' out there, then?"

Prompto glanced over at Noctis, who was still eying Cid warily. He had already apparently decided he didn't trust him because he had insulted his friend, and the behavior had confused Prompto for quite a long time. He realized of course how much damage emotional pain could cause, but this had hardly seemed like it was a necessary reason. It wasn't until Prompto had really though about it that he realized why. All of his friends, though hardly knowing the specifics of his past, could be almost overprotective when it came to any chance that someone could hurt his feelings. After what had happened when he had lost control they made sure he felt as comfortable as possible. Noctis especially had the habit badly.

Before he could comment on it though, Nyx had parked the car and stepped out, prompting both the younger Lucians to get out of the car and follow him. Prompto was already going through what he would need in his head. If he was in his human form, he'd need his guns. They were a common make, but reliable and deadly in his hands. He had also long since mastered using the pocket universe that Noctis could call on. He knew how to call upon the weapons and put them back using sheer force of will and nothing more than the bond he already shared with Noctis. That was the secret of calling upon the weapons no matter the distance between them. After all they did exist outside time and space when inside of that pocket dimension.

Noctis seemed to be more watching everyone around him, as if daring them to say anything. They seemed to be intimidated by him, which made Prompto bite back a sigh. He had a bad habit of being lazy (partly his fault) and coming across as unapproachable (maybe his fault) that people didn't seem to like to talk to him. Those were things that they were going to definitely have to work on as time went on. How could he ever hope to be king if they always ended up making people nervous? Prompto dutifully followed after his young prince though, his eyes scanning the area and watching the man with careful eyes.

"Your targets are daemons this time, right?" Nyx asked, glancing over his shoulders at the two of them. Noctis hummed an affirmative. "Which means they'll probably be out tonight. You two don't have long to try and help that girl if she's still alive. So, what's your call Noctis?"

The prince pursed his lips, probably without realizing it, to think about the situation. He definitely wasn't the strategist that Ignis was, but Prompto knew Noctis well enough by now to tell he was trying to figure out the best way to do this without causing any problems. He kept casting glances out towards the desert, or otherwise towards Prompto as he continued thinking, then once or twice towards Nyx. Obviously it wasn't an easy choice on what to do. Nyx was a better fighter than both of them, with far more experience, but they needed someone to protect all of these people or they would end up getting hurt really badly. Finally he seemed to decide.

"Nyx," he said, his tone becoming far more sure and commanding than before. "Stay here. Make sure no one else gets hurt. Prompto and I will head out into the desert to look for that girl."

"By yourselves?" a man gasped. "You two are just kids!"

"Prompto," Noctis said, ignoring the man.

Prompto nodded, turning his attention towards the desert and dropping to all four paws. It was much easier than it had first been when he had first transformed, even despite the height and weight differences between the two forms. Even so, it must have still looked painful because many people winced even if they didn't mean to, and stepped back in fear. Noctis however, as soon as he was done transforming, didn't even hesitate to leap up onto Prompto's back before he had even stood to his full height. The only thing that visibly marked him as not a normal daemon was the fact that there was a collar around his neck, a black collar with the mark of Insomnia on the front of it, which he often carried along with this gun just out of sight. Summoning it was no problem now, and that's what Noctis carefully grabbed onto so he wouldn't fall off.

"Be careful," was Nyx's solemn warning.

Noctis, if he was offended by the thought that he or Prompto couldn't take care of themselves, didn't show it. Instead he nodded, deadly serious, and leaned closer to Prompto's back, trying to make himself as small as possible. The rouge MT needed no more direction than that, knowing that the daemons would mostly ignore him so long as they didn't see Noctis. He went bounding away into the swiftly approaching darkness, quickly covering ground in his long strides that kept him smoothly rushing across the landscape. Prompto could almost imagine Noctis smiling on his back. They hadn't tried this kind of thing in quite a while, mostly because there was little space. But Noctis had often commented how "smooth the ride was".

Apparently the thought had bothered him for a long time that he was hitching a ride on his best friend's back, and he was always worried he'd do something that ended up hurting him. It took Prompto reminding him several times about his pack mentality, the metal infused bones, and the fact that he just didn't mind for him to finally relax about it enough to let him carry him. Just like Prompto pointed out, he didn't feel weird about it. He would honestly rather know that Noctis was safe than worry about being "tame" or as Noct had put it "acting like a pony rather than a dog". Besides, he had no problem carrying his friends.

Night fell like it always did on Eos, thick and dark. Even if the moon was shining brightly overhead most people couldn't see very far in front of them without a flashlight, as if something dark had long ago obscured the beauty of the moon. Luckily, Noctis was smart enough to not turn on his Flashlight and bring attention to himself sitting on top of the back of the MT. Despite his odd coloring, it was true that the daemons appearing from the ground hardly even glanced at him. If they sensed the human on his back, they seemed to write it off since as a MT he already carried a human like scent anyway. Instead they were turning their attention to the sound of screaming, which had Prompto's ears twitching even if he knew Noctis couldn't quite hear it. When Prompto abruptly changed directions to follow the other daemons, Noctis just hunkered farther down into his fur to hide, trusting his much better night vision to take them where they needed to go.

That's honestly what touched Prompto the most, that he would trust him that much. It had been years, and he knew that he could trust all of his friends with his own life, even as hard to take it as it was. Not even just his health either, but his mental health. They were always there to help him, even when he was at his most vulnerable. And yet something always still touched him no matter how many times they simply demonstrated just how much they really trusted him. Even if it was only standing in the room with him as he trained, it was enough. Maybe it was because he was tired of living a life where people didn't trust him. Tia had only really been the only one to trust him, and never so completely as these kids from Insomnia.

The thought honestly made him sad. He still loved Tia, in a way. She had given him his name, given him a home and a life. She and her family could be dead, and he hadn't even bothered to learn any of their names. Part of that could be blamed on his more animalistic mind at the time, and the fact that he only ever associated good things with Tia. But now, living in Insomnia and trusted and loved for simply being who he was, it was more than magical. If anything, it had only made him love humans even more. If all those hunters were still alive after all this time, the first thing he was going to do was thank them for at least helping him live. Without them he wouldn't have ever made it here, and he was grateful for them being part of his life, small though it was.

But he snapped his mind back to the present with a low growl as a goblin came too close for his liking to the prince perched on his back. The creature, sensing the much larger and powerful creature, wisely backed away. So far there were only a few goblins in the area, nothing too overly dangerous. They were their quarry as well for this hunt, but he would really rather not end up having to fight to save Noct right now, mostly because there was no telling that girl was going to last. They were quickly approaching, leaping past rocks and other obstacles like it was nothing, close enough that Noctis could now hear her as well. He leaned closer, as if to urge Prompto faster, and he quickly obliged. Upon reaching the car, Prompto noticed several things.

First, the weak goblins immediately scattered and began chattering nervously at his appearance, but that alone wouldn't hold them back for long. The car was broken down, though the monsters that had attacked had long since fled for the night, leaving only daemons. There was blood everywhere, but no corpse of the mother so she had most likely already been dragged off to become a daemon. The only other living thing in the area was the girl. She as around their age, small and pale. She was shaking, blonde hair framing her face and her brown eyes shining with fearful tears. She was holding what appeared to be a broken windshield wiper in her hand as a makeshift weapon, and she looked rather defeated.

Until of course Noctis jumped off of Prompto's back and summoned his daggers, standing in front of the girl and eying the now angrily chattering daemons. He nodded to Prompto, who quickly returned to his human form, summoning a revolver as he did so. Needless to say, everything in the vicinity other than Noctis was shocked. Even the daemons seemed to pull back a little as they realized they were looking at a MT, and he heard a small eep of surprise from the girl behind them. Noctis just smirked, raising his daggers.

"Prompto," he called. "You're up."

Prompto smirked, reaching towards his back pocket where he kept a very special bullet. He didn't have many of them, though it wasn't difficult to make more. Luna had shown him how he could pour his own natural light into an empty casing (of a certain variety of course) that would allow him to create a "starshell". They were usually rare, since only people like the young Oracle could create them, and she didn't have enough light to keep up with the staggering demand. Prompto however, knowing his own limitations, could create his own with the same technique. It allowed him to create a bullet that would explode in the air like a flare. This created a star that hung in place ahead, which was useful for lighting their way as well as hurting any daemons in the area and weakening them. While not as effective as the sun's natural light, he always had some of the empty silver shells to make more of the special bullets for their use. This one was already created and ready, so he snapped it into the currently empty gun and raised it. Once it was over his head, he pulled the trigger.

"Let me brighten your day," he mocked the daemons.

As soon as the shell exploded a good distance above their heads, the daemons shrieked in pain in the light that was caused above their heads. The girl blinked in the unexpected light, but Prompto had already summoned the bullets from the pocket dimension, shoving them expertly into the gun to reload them. He'd have to stock up after this, but he really did prefer to use the simpler guns. Noctis wasted no time in jumping into action towards the daemons, flipping and warping around like everything was normal. The girl, stunned at their training or too tired to move, retreated to the car where her parents had just been before they had met their ends.

The new couple of minutes was just a flurry of motion, an easy and steady rhythm of battle that Prompto was unfortunately way too familiar with. His aversion to fighting had eased a little, mostly because Noctis was here. He knew the prince to be kind and loyal to his friends, and if Noctis were to order him to attack a person...well he wouldn't like it but he wouldn't question it. That's how much he trusted him. Prompto, though being a MT, was kind of small so he usually stayed to the back of the pack where his friends usually shoved him anyway. He raised his gun, shooting one daemon and making it flip from the force of a bullet. Within a second he felt Noctis flash past him, a lance raised as he slammed it down and flipped over the top of it, landing and jabbing at another that had been trying to sneak around Prompto.

Prompto leaped back, nearly stumbling over a body but allowing his reflexes to take over. It didn't stop the goblin from leaping forward to slash at him with its claws, which he wasn't quick enough to dodge. The claws shallowly cut him across the chest, making him growl loudly and raise his gun in retaliation. Another shot rang out in the night, making the daemon scream and leap back. Noctis, noticing his friend's distress, quickly warped into the creature's back, which made Prompto's eyes flash as he realized the opening it had created. Noctis reached over and took Prompto's gun even as the MT had reached for the great sword that he was now carrying, having switched just before the warp strike. Prompto rolled over Noctis's back and slammed the heavy sword down even as Noctis shot, quickly downing three enemies at once.

"Doing all right?" Noctis asked as they passed their weapons back.

"I'll be fine," Prompto replied, raising his gun and shooting a few more rounds, knocking down a daemon who had come too close to the girl for his liking.

Noctis just nodded and reached behind him, as if to grab something. When he released the sword, it turned to a blue substance that faded with nothing more than a sparkle on the wind. With a quick dance backward, he grabbed two daggers, which materialized in much the same fashion. Prompto had never quite gotten the beautiful and graceful way that Noct had fought, but he still couldn't help but focus on practicality in battle rather than finesse. Not that the prince wasn't good. On the contrary, under Cor's guidance he had gotten frighteningly good. Still, there were still enemies left, so Prompto snapped his attention forward as the goblins surged forward.

"Prompto," Noct called again.

This time, when Noctis called for Prompto's attack, he focused on using his "piercer" bullets, which were another special bullet. They were less flashy than the starshells, more perfectly suited for ripping through enemies and going immediately for kill shots. The few goblins that were left met a swift demise at the bullet that could rip through several enemies at once. That left only a few, one of which that leaped onto Noctis while Prompto struggling to quickly reload. Noctis hissed but slammed his elbow into the creature's ribs, making it yowl and go tumbling away into its comrades. Far from being finished, Noctis turned and jabbed the two remaining creatures with his daggers, killing them, before turning to assess the damage on Prompto. Of course, Prompto tolerated this, but not without secretly surveying Noctis's wounds too.

He knew that Noctis wouldn't be happy if he found out he was looking to see if he was all right. Definitely not because he would feel insulted, but because he insisted on worrying over all of his friends more than himself. Prompto could see him making a good king, but those thoughts always brought back the thoughts of that prophecy again. What exactly was supposed to happen as he got older? Still, it was a comfortable and familiar feeling, knowing that he could trust Noctis to watch his back. The gun disappeared as Prompto couldn't help but spin in surely on one finger and whistle a little tune at the success.

"Nice one, Prompto," Noctis praised. Prompto laughed in an embarrassed way at the words.

Prompto's response died on his lips however as he heard something else, a kind of moaning on the wind. Even as Noctis turned to the girl, trying to coax her out of her hiding spot, he felt himself tense. Something seemed off, as if he had just found something far more dangerous waiting out of sight. His eyes flicked around the area, even as the light of the starshell completely faded, leaving them in darkness again. Something was moving, having caught their scent on the wind, and it made him bristle. As if some part of him knew that a bigger, badder hunter lay in wait, ready to appear at a moment's notice. And there would be no hiding Noctis now, let alone the girl.

"Hey," Noctis called to the girl, who was trying to disappear into the smashed car. "Its okay. We're Royal Hunters, uh, Crowns Guard. From Insomnia." Not technically true, but most people outside of the city often confused the two. "We're not going to hurt you."

"Wh-What about that thing?" the girl asked in a small voice, probably pointing at Prompto. He didn't respond, but Noctis bristled slightly.

"He's my friend," Noctis snapped, making her jump. He sighed and then tried again in an only slightly more civilized tone. "Look. He's not a regular MT. He's considered a rogue MT and well, even Lu- the Oracle said that he was all right."

"Lady Lunafreya did?" the girl asked, sounding more curious now but still completely uneasy around Prompto. Her accent was now much more pronounced, more like Cid's. Must be a dialect. The MT however was tensed. It was nearly here.

"Noct," Prompto called out suddenly, tensed. "We need to move!"

Noctis, for his part, didn't question Prompto's instincts. He turned instead and nodded as Prompto dropped again to all fours, his belly low to the ground as his eyes scanned the world around him. Noctis had a little trouble finding him in the dark, even with his coloration, but hauled himself up with a practiced ease onto the Thunderdog's back. Noticing that the girl was now even more terrified, Noctis sighed and tried not to growl his frustration at her. Prompto really wanted to remind him to mind his manners, but he felt too tensed to notice. The young prince could feel this though, if his hands tightening just a moment into Prompto's fur was anything to go off of.

"Come on," he hissed to the girl. "We can't stay out here. I don't know if you've noticed, but its night."

"B-But I," the girl started, Noct's harsh tone seeming to bring on tears. "I can't just-"

"Look," Noctis said. "There's nothing else we can do here. Would your parents want you to die out here? Do you want to die out here?"

This finally seemed to spur the girl into a reluctant action, though whether she had noticed his use of the past tense for both of her parents or not Prompto couldn't tell. He wasn't paying enough attention to her right now to even tell if she was crying. He felt her hesitant hand touch his side, but he didn't move, his eyes still nervously scanning the area. Not long now. He could feel it starting to manifest itself, something big. They usually appeared on the road, where it was easy to cut people off and draw enough energy to appear. But where they were, sitting here for too long, it had plenty of time. Prompto winced a little as the girl started trying to climb up his side, pulling his fur.

Noctis noticed and immediately grabbed the girl, making her loudly yelp and Prompto flinch at the sudden noise. This might have been enough to spook the girl away from the half ton animal, if not for Noctis practically holding her onto Prompto's back. Honestly the MT wasn't sure if it was just because he was already angry at Cid's reaction to his friend earlier or that he was just angry at the way that the rest of the world viewed him. Honestly, Prompto couldn't have cared at this point. As Noctis fought to keep the spooked girl from bolting back off of his back, the MT's eyes finally made out the signs of a large dark circle bubbling up from the ground, where a groaning of metal could be heard clearly. If the other two heard it, they didn't seem to react.

"Stop it," Noctis growled to her. "He's not going to hurt you. Listen I trust him with my life, so calm down." But she had already stopped, turning towards the arm reaching itself out of the ground in front of them.

"Oh gods..." she whimpered.

"Prompto," Noctis gasped.

The MT wasted no time in following the order, turning 180 degrees and immediately fleeing from the Iron Giant pulling itself out of the ground. It wasn't fast, but he knew just how utterly dangerous this thing could be even for a seasoned Royal Hunter. Ignoring the throbbing in his chest, he bounded over a rock and slipped into the fastest run he could manage, pushing his body to its utmost limits. He could feel the girl's panic on his back, and Noctis's own fear, and it snapped his pack instinct to the front of his mind as it sometimes did. His eyes, taking a more beast like state, narrowed as they darted around looking for a place to hide his two smaller companions if a fight had to break out. Flee first. Fight if need be.

A pull started as the creature groaned, making Prompto snarl and dig his claws into the ground to keep from being dragged back towards the massive creature. He knew they were capable of creating black holes in their hands that could drag victims or opponents towards them and cause damage as well, but he hadn't wanted to find out how strong those were the hard way. Noctis and the girl yelped, holding onto him as tightly as they could, and Prompto didn't protest when he felt one of them grab a fistful of his fur. At the very least they didn't fly off. Prompto skid backwards about a foot, but his powerful claws finally caught on a rock, holding them fast.

The creature growled as it released this technique, unable to keep it going for long, and that was all the break Prompto needed. He leaped forward again, running and not looking back in the direction of Hammerhead. Honestly, with the anti-daemon lights on there, it might be the only safe place around for miles. He could hear the frustrated creature swinging its sword towards them, and leaped to the left. It came crashing down with a bone jarring thud, which might have knocked Prompto over had he been in his human form. As it was however, he landed and ran past the roaring creature as it tried to pull its sword loose from where it had become stuck from the force of its swing. Prompto ran past, not daring to see if it was following. Safety first.

If the creature's enraged rumblings were anything to go off of, he'd managed to evade it. Prompto just kept running, hoping to avoid any other daemons in the area and make it back to Hammerhead. Both of the children on his back were quiet, gripping at him tightly. He could feel them both shaking, but thankfully they seemed to understand that they needed to be quiet. Prompto felt too high strung, too on edge even as he continued to run. This was exactly the reason he hated fighting daemons at night, because it put his friends into far too much danger as it was.

It was then that Prompto almost tripped as he ran right into a shield of some kind. Grinding to a stop, he turned and raised his head, looking around. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but it felt as if he shouldn't be here, as if he'd stepped somewhere that he shouldn't have been able to go. He finally found it, the blue signs marked into the earth and the smoke rising above a glowing blue firepit, as if beckoning them further. Prompto felt himself psychically relax, knowing that they were out of danger from any daemons or MT's that could appear simply because they had managed to find this place. He turned, trotting up the rock formation to where the others could clearly see it.

"A haven?" the girl gasped. "but shouldn't he…?"

She paused, probably glancing down at Prompto, who just yawned and carefully laid down so that the two of them could slide off of his back when they were ready to. He couldn't practically feel Noctis's agitation as he slid down off of Prompto's back, quickly running in front of him and tapping the bottom of his chin so he could check the damage to his chest. Frowning quietly to himself, he pulled out a potion and smashed it over his chest, making Prompto quietly sigh in relief despite himself as the pain began to ease. He let out a quiet growl, giving Noctis a pointed look, which the Prince replied to with a playful eye roll. Knowing though that Prompto would force him to attend to his own injuries if he didn't though, the prince also used a potion on himself before turning back to look at the girl. He was rather tensed, crossing his arms to eye her. Prompto made sure not to move, not wanting to spook her now that she was somewhere safe.

"I told you," Noct said, sounding defensive again. "He's not a normal MT."

"He's just on edge," Prompto offered, making the girl jump. "Don't worry about him. Are you going to stay up there? I guess you're welcome to if you'd like but it can't be all that comfortable."

This finally seemed to make the girl want to move, and she quickly slid off of his back, trying her hardest to not cut herself on the large spines on his back when she did so. She looked unsure who she should shy away from more, Noctis or Prompto. The prince seemed to decide for her though, scoffing and turning to sit at the very edge of the rock, letting his eyes wander over the darkness of the area. Too bad they hadn't thought to bring any tents or supplies to start a fire. It would have been much more comfortable. As it was, the desert air was already starting to grow chill, and the girl shivered. Not that he could blame her. She was dressed in a thin shirt and shorts, nothing like what was needed for a night time venture out here.

"You can always curl up next to me if you need to," he offered her. "I don't bite. Well, not humans anyway, unless they're jerks. Then its fair game."

This seemed to be calming enough, because as he'd hoped she'd giggled a little. The sound quickly faded though, leaving her looking miserable again. Slowly she looked at him, and then decided she apparently needed company or trusted him enough now after that whole episode to sit down against his shoulder, leaning back and staring up at the stars that were visible beyond both Insomnia's and Hammerhead's light pollution. For a long while only the sounds of the moaning Iron Giant and other screeching daemons could be heard as the three sat in utter silence, as if waiting for someone else to talk first.

"My dad," the girl began, sounding as if she's trying hard to not cry. "Is he...he went to Hammerhead to..."

"He was dead when we got there," Prompto said softly, his voice full of apology.

This brought on a fresh wave of tears, loud and agonized sobbing from a person who had knew it was true but didn't want to hear the words. Even Noctis, who was trying to give the girl a cold shoulder, glanced just slightly back towards her when he heard it. He understood the feeling after all, even if he wasn't completely alone like this girl was. That gave Prompto an idea, who sent Noctis a silent apology with his own glance before looking back at the girl. He nudged her gently with his nose, which made her jump and freeze, no longer sobbing loudly at the unexpected motion. Not quite what he'd meant to do, but at least he had her attention.

"You know," he said. "Noctis may not look like it, but he understand what you're going through in a way. His mother died in a daemon attack that had very nearly left him paralyzed for life. Luckily he recovered, and that's about the time I met him." He chuckled a little. "Both him and Lady Lunafreya. I'd never met two children before who found me more fascinating than terrifying. Though, maybe me helping to save Noctis's life helped with that."

Prompto wasn't even sure how much she was listening to him anymore, at least not at first. He just started talking, about how he had Noctis had met, about the funny things that had happened over the years and the jokes that had sprang form them. He talked about life in the Crown City and all of the people he had met there. Not once did he really talk about being a MT or the fact that the Empire had made him into what he was, but she didn't seem to mind. After a long while she slowly turned and watched him as he talked, laughing a long with him as he continued to try and give her some kind of distraction. It wasn't long before Noctis joined her, sitting down against Prompto's flank far enough away to not be touching her, and rubbing his chin.

Prompto fell silent at this, simply allowing him the time to collect his thoughts and just think for a moment. The girl fell silent too, not bothering to talk for a long while as she seemed largely uncomfortable in the presence of the two relative strangers. Noctis continued to frown in silence for a while, though he couldn't help the little bit of a smile that appeared when Prompto leaned into his touch and almost knocked him over on purpose because of it. Finally he seemed to remember that the girl was there, and turned to look at her.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Oh its," the girl said quietly. "Cindy."

"Hey," Noctis said lamely, then sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look. I'm sorry about earlier. I just...get kind of protective around Prompto. We all do. He's just been through a lot in his life. Really, with what they probably did to him when he was younger...I'm kind of surprised his so friendly, let alone sane."

"Did you never ask him?" Cindy asked.

"Would you?"

She shook her head slowly, looking down at the ground instead and focusing on the dirt covering the rock beneath her feet. She shivered a little, backing up closer to Prompto's side where it was at least a little bit warmer. He shifted his back legs to curl around the two more and hide them a little more from the biting wind. This time Cindy didn't seem to jump when he moved, almost as if she didn't realize that he was still there.

"Mom and dad were," she said, pausing before swallowing thickly and starting again. "They were coming out here for a job. To learn how to work the garage that old Cid has. Said he's real famous round these parts. But then dad when off the road and..."

"Look," Noctis sighed. "Its not going to be easy. I won't lie and say it will be. My mom's dead, Prompto's just overall had a shit life...things happen. You're alive, so I guess what I'm saying is that you need to keep living because it's going to get better."

"Wow," Prompto couldn't help but chime in with a grin. "You suck at this, Noct."

"Shut up," Noctis snapped back, shoving his head playfully. "like you're any better!"

But Cindy was already laughing at the two of them, apparently having decided that they were amusing enough at least to keep her company in her grief. Prompto couldn't help but smile as well as he heard it. Noctis tried to hide his behind his facade of being cool, but Prompto could see right through it. Now much more relaxed, the girl leaned back and smiled as Noctis started recounting some older stories form his life, from times before Prompto had ever entered it. He talked about his mother and father, the weight of the crown and the fact that it had aged his father prematurely and would one day age him the same way. It wasn't all happy, but neither was it sad.

Prompto had already kind of tuned the sound out, not because he wasn't curious, but because he'd heard a lot of these things before. The sound of the two kids curled up into his fur laughing as they shared stories of their own lives, of all their triumphs and their failures, it just felt right. Like he couldn't ever imagine a life before. Slowly Prompto put his head down, quietly closing his eyes to sleep away the exhaustion creeping up on him from the day's events.

* * *

 _Prompto was awoken by someone leaping onto the bed, making him jump and growl. Now more than ever he wished he could talk, to tell Tia that he didn't appreciate it. If he hadn't been more used to the fact that he sometimes spent his days inside of a human home he might have even bitten her! That's when he realized how dark outside it was, but more frighteningly, the sound of a Magitek Engine. The familiar sound brought with it a sense of dread as he found Tia's scared face in the darkness. She was reaching out, trying to find him without turning on the lights. As soon as her hand touched his nose she let out a choked sob._

" _Prompto," she called quietly. "Prompto you have to go! I don't want them to take you!"_

 _Now he was fully awake, sitting up quickly and whining at the girl, licking at her hands. He was unsure what she meant, but he had always put her first ever since she had saved him. When she started panicking like this, sometimes she wouldn't be able to breathe. He didn't know why that was, or if there was someway that she could end up getting healthier over time. But he knew that right now, she was freaking out about something and he didn't want to see her getting sicker. His attempts to calm her seemed to be doing the opposite though, and she started crying harder, reaching out and grabbing onto his scruff in an attempt to move him off of the bed he had been laying on before she had abandoned it during the day to help her mother on a small hunt._

 _Honestly Prompto had been both relieved and worried that she seemed to be getting better. After about three years of living with the family here, he had grown very little but she had grown less. Except that with each passing day she had seemed to get better, except for those rare occasions that she had gotten sick. She was still sickly, but nothing like when they had first met. She was no longer always sick, strong enough to go outside. Whenever the rare time happened that she joined in a night hunt he had always been right there beside her to help her. But as she got stronger, the hunters began to look at him more, probably trying to decide when he could be thrown out._

 _It had even seemed like Tia had begun growing more and more wary of him as time went on, as if she had finally realized what he was. They had continued to look more and more towards the skies, and Tia had grown increasingly more willing to let him spend time outside of the house. Like they were kicking him out. This new development, since he had felt pushed away from these people for nearly a month now, was more distressing than her just telling him to leave and never come out. What was she so scared of? He didn't fight her as she tugged him out of her bed and to the closet, shoving him in and closing the door before shushing him._

 _He didn't ask why, not that he could, and he didn't know why. But he could basically smell her fear coming off of her in waves, the anger and frustration. If she was trying to make it look normal, she failed when her parents entered the room. Prompto couldn't help but be confused as he felt the utter fear that jolted through the two of them as they looked into the room. Tia, trying to not look nervous and trying to not let them know that apparently he was here, but that only seemed to make them more unnerved._

" _Tia," her father cried. "Where's Prompto?"_

" _Why do you want to know?" she asked, her voice sounding defensive._

" _Tia," her mother cried. "This is important!"_

" _No," Tia cried, sounding close to tears. "I won't let you give him over to those monsters! I know that he's a daemon, but he's never been anything but kind to me! I don't want him to become one of those things! I won't let you take him!"_

" _Tia," her father snapped, then sighed, trying to reign in his voice. "We don't want to hand him over to them."_

" _But the meetings-"_

" _You saw those?" her mother sighed. "No wonder you're in such a panic. Tia," her voice got softer, gentler. "Listen. We don't want to give Prompto up. We can't. He...may be a daemon but he's done so much for us...he's not like the others. There's something different about him."_

" _We're planning on causing a distraction," her father continued. "Hoping that he'll be able to run away in the confusion. Who knows. Maybe we'll see him again someday."_

" _Right now," her father interrupted. "We have to find him so we can make sure he has the chance to escape."_

 _There was silence for a long moment as Tia just seemed to think for a long moment. Maybe she was trying to see if they were telling the truth, and honestly it touched him that she wanted to protect them. But all of them? When had that suddenly happened? He knew he really wasn't that well liked around here, so of course it surprised him that they were so willing to protect him now. He at least could tell that they were being truthful, even not able to see them like he currently was. Tia had told him to be quiet though, and he was nothing if not loyal to her. Finally he heard her move, walking over to the door of the closet and pulling it open. He slowly crept out, and he could hear their relieved sighs as they saw him. He turned his eyes towards them quizzically._

" _Do you think he'll understand?" Tia's mother asked, sounding more worried than ever._

 _It hit Prompto right then hard, how much he didn't know about these people, how much he just hadn't cared. He wanted to thank them, for being willing to try and save them (they all knew what the Empire was doing with daemons). He wanted to know all of their names, learn who each of them actually was more than just hunters. He wished he could ask for their names, something to call them and know them by, but he couldn't talk in a way they would understand. Instead, he tried to convey how much it meant to him by whining and coming closer, leaning slightly into their legs as he'd seen dogs do before when they wanted attention. If Prompto could have cried he might have._

 _Both the man and the woman froze at the unfamiliar contact, but he could feel them physically relax after a while. Slowly, hesitantly, he felt them run their fingers through his fur. Both of them had calloused hands, far stronger than the gentle pats that Tia had given him before. Part of him wanted to rebel at the touch, to pull away and have nothing to do with it. The other part of him made him lean farther into it, coaxing them to continue. What if he didn't see them again? What if this was the last day he was even alive? What if it was their last day?_

" _He seems to understand enough," Tia's father said, his voice a low rumble that gave Prompto the impression that he was trying to keep his composure. Then he shoved Prompto away, giving him a stern look. "Night's fallen. Get out of here. We'll keep them distracted long enough for you to escape, and if we didn't give you enough time its because we're dead."_

 _Prompto whined quietly at that. He didn't want them to die. They were the closest thing he had to a family left, but they were both giving him that look. They wanted him to leave, to live. Was life worth living when you were completely alone, when everything you had ever known could be gone and you would never know if it was? He wasn't sure, but he'd also never seen emotion like that in their eyes before. Hope, pain, sorrow, despair, guilt, so many things held in all of their gazes. He slowly stopped, taking in all of their appearances and drinking in their faces like he had never done before. If this was the last time he saw them, he didn't want to forget._

 _Then he turned, bolting out of the still open front door of the house and into the night surrounding him. The thrum of magitek engines was steadily drawing closer, and the shrieks of daemons coming out to prowl at night was slowly growing louder as well. Hunters were moving around the camp, grabbing their weapons and what little armor they did have in order to face off against the MT's that were growing closer with every second. When they saw him pass, many sent him fleeting smiles or grim nods of encouragement._

 _As much as he wanted to, that his instincts screamed at him to help his pack, he didn't turn back. It was probably the first time in his entire life that he hadn't followed his instincts. It wasn't quite that he was following his heart either, because it had been shattered in that house when they told him to run, to leave them to die. He wasn't sure what he was doing, running away. Every step brought him more pain, until finally he had stopped, turning to look back. The night sky was on fire, lit up with the sounds of screams and gunfire that made it possible to see the hunter's camp from so far away. Prompto let out a quiet whine._

 _What was he doing? Running like a coward? These people had done so much for him, much more than they probably realized, and this was no way to pay them back. He turned, not caring what they said about him running away, running back towards them. He had to help. He had to save them. Too many creatures both big and small had already been hurt by his existence. Why would Prompto turn away from these people who had helped him to survive and thrive despite his own nature? One thought lodged itself into his mind, something that overpowered any fear or instinct that might have popped up when he saw the first MT unit._

 _If he gave himself to them, would they leave the humans alone?_

* * *

Prompto started awake with a snort, glancing around. It took a moment for him to return from the past that had visited him in his dreams and to the present. He slowly turned to look down, noticing both Cindy and Noctis curled up against him. He had shifted at some point, poking his nose under his back legs. It had created a cocoon of fur that the two were trapped between. He let out an amused huff that his jump hadn't waken either of them, but he supposed it was only fair. They were all tired and dirty from what had happened last night. His fur at the very least had seemed to keep away the lethal chill that could spread through the desert at night, so the two children were just fine. Prompto turned his nose skyward, noticing that his breath wasn't puffing out in a cloud like it had been before. The sun was rising, steadily bringing stifling heat.

Prompto shifted, carefully bumping his side so that the other two would awaken. They groaned out protests of being woken, and Prompto snorted a little in amusement as he walked away, stretching. He winced as several bones popped. He'd probably overdone it a bit when he'd been running away from that Iron Giant, but it wasn't anything to worry about. He'd be sore for a while, but any increased damage had already been taken care of by the potion Noct had given him before the night had been up. Besides, with metal in his bone structure it made it harder to injure him, even the muscles surrounding that bone structure.

As Prompto yawned, revealing all of his sharp teeth, he found his mind wandering back to the hunters who had first taken him in. It had been quite a long time ago. Tia had to be at least almost twenty now if she had been alive, especially since he had only been around five human years old at the time. He had no idea how old any of the rest of them were supposed to be, but he couldn't help but hope that they were alive. He couldn't remember much of what had happened after he'd first seen the MT. He could assume they jumped on him as quickly as they could, grabbing any other daemons in the area that had responded to his pained cries.

A hesitant hand laid on his side, and his turned his eyes down. He was almost surprised to see Cindy frowning at him in a concerned way. Noctis wasn't far behind her, also looking at him with a face that clearly said they were going to talk later because he wasn't letting him bottle it away this time. Prompto managed a smile though, which seemed to put Cindy at ease. Of course Noctis could read him like a book, so he knew he wasn't as fine as that smile was trying to portray. Instead he just sighed and returned to Prompto's side, easily scaling his fur.

"Come on," Noctis said, seeming much more relaxed about Cindy. "We'd better get back to Hammerhead. Bet Nyx is worrying himself to death."

"Probably," Prompto chuckled as he lowered himself to allow Cindy to crawl onto his back. She was much less practiced than Noct, and it made him wince a little as she pulled fur. She flinched, but he could feel her discomfort even as she scaled his side. "You okay?"

"I don't know," she quietly admitted. "What am I supposed to do? Where do I go?" Prompto flicked an ear, and he felt Noctis rub his head gently.

"Relax," Noctis said, no real bite to his voice anymore. "It'll work out. Trust me. My life's worked out so far, and Prompto's has been way worse but he's still here."

This seemed to calm her a little bit, and she pulled herself the rest of the way onto Prompto's back. He turned, making his way again back to Hammerhead with two teens in tow. He wasn't running this time, seeing how their lives weren't in danger and it would probably already freak enough people out if they saw him come crashing into town that it would set Noctis off again. The pace he set was much more leisurely and calm, and after a while Noctis just lounged on his back and Cindy slowly released her grip on his fur. He felt her rubbing circles into the spot she'd nearly ripped his fur out with her fingers, whether because she needed comfort or was apologizing, he couldn't tell. Whatever she was doing however made Noctis laugh though.

"Little strange, isn't it?" he asked. "to be riding what was once a daemon around like a horse? Heck if I didn't know any better I'd say he was tame." This got a quiet giggle from her. It was too high, like she was nervous.

"You two are really good friends," she observed. "I hope I can have friends like that one day."

"You do," Noctis replied, to Cindy's shocked silence. "Us. What? Didn't think we'd be friends? We basically shared our life story at this point. Besides, I kind of like having friends like you and Prompto. People who want to be friends with me because I'm me, not the Prince of Lucius."

"P-Prince?" she gasped.

"Didn't realize it?" Noctis asked, amusement but also disappointment entering his tone.

"W-Well," she said. "I just...I don't know...you didn't..."

"Didn't seem like the type?" Noctis asked. "Appearances aren't everything you know. Prompto looks like he could rip us to shreds but he carries us around like a huge horse." Prompto felt Noctis lay down on his back, arms crossed behind his head as he looked upwards. After a few seconds he felt Cindy relax as well.

"I'd like to be friends," she said quietly. "With both of you. I think...I'll need them. We'll stay in touch...right?"

"Definitely," Noctis said, a smile evident on his face. Even as they began nearing Hammerhead, he was giving Cindy his phone number so she could contact him later (and Prompto's as well, because she'd seemed to warm up to him too).

Prompto's ears swiveled forward catching sight of Nyx as he spotted Prompto's easily seen figure against the dusty terrain. He seemed a little nervous, but not entirely worried since he could see Prompto's gait was steady and not at all uneasy. If Noctis had been hurt, or his other passenger -which of course Nyx didn't really know about yet- had been injured beyond what help a potion or elixir could give them he wouldn't be so calmly strolling back into town. Soon both Cindy and Noctis could make out the town as well, and within a few moments Prompto had hopped onto the street and strolled into the parking lot. Nyx didn't hesitate to smile and lay a hand on Prompto's shoulder despite the obvious height difference.

"Things went all right?" he asked.

"As well as they could," Noctis replied. "Goblins go down easy, but we ended up hanging around too long. An Iron Giant appeared. Prompto got us out of there fast, then we ended up spending the night a nearby Haven."

"In the desert?" Nyx asked with a raised brow and smirk.

"Prompto's fur's plenty warm," Noctis countered back.

Nyx just chuckled and shook his head, finally seeming to notice Cindy. He walked over to her and offered her a hand, which she hesitantly took. Nyx was careful to help her get to the ground without any incident, his practiced eyes flicking over her to check for any injuries. Other than still being mentally exhausted and dirty she didn't have any other injuries. Satisfied, he nodded to himself even as Noctis easily slipped back down to the ground and patted Prompto's side. He took it as a sign to change forms again, noticing the people pretending not to watch wince again. They were obviously still nervous of him. Yet another reason Prompto preferred his human form.

"So," Cid's voice barked out in the background. "ya found her, didya? Reckon yer tired, girly. Why don'tcha go rest a bit? In my house. Its open for ya." She shifted a little nervously and then looked to Prompto and Noctis for help.

"We'll have to be going soon," Nyx reminded her gently. "We have to make a report to the king."

"I-I don't want to intrude," she said quietly, hardly loud enough for them to hear.

"Who said ya were?" Cid countered. "It was supposed to be open fer you and yer folks, but they ain't around anymore." Cindy's eyes fell, and Prompto could see Cid's soften just a little. "Gonna need help around the garage," he continued, his voice not quite a growl anymore. "That was the job yer old man was supposed to have. Guess you'll do."

Noctis had started bristling again, eying the man warily. Cindy's eyes prickled with tears though, and Prompto smiled. Both of them at least could see it for what it really was. An old man trying to assure a girl who'd lost everything that she wasn't going to be thrown out on the street. Cindy nodded, then turned, quickly throwing her arms around Noctis's neck and then Prompto's. She tried, unsuccessfully to wipe the tears away before smiling at them.

"Thanks a ton," she said. "Make sure to stay out of trouble, ya hear?"

"We'll try," Prompto replied quietly. Noctis just nodded.

Soon goodbyes were said, and Cindy was running after Cid to the garage to see what she needed to get done. Nyx was starting the car and getting ready for the trip back home, and Noctis was still frowning after Cid. Prompto couldn't help but laugh at his expression, wondering if he was really just getting this way with all of his friends, or it was only blondes that caused him to get overprotective. Noct's lips twitched into a poorly hid smile, and he raised a brow at his smaller friend even as Prompto made his way over to the car.

"Something funny?" he asked.

"Admit it," he replied instead of answering. "you're warming up to Cid for taking her in like that."

"Whatever."

But just like Noctis could see through Prompto, the MT knew that the young prince had definitely warmed up to Cid.

* * *

 **This chapter was so hard to write for some reason! Don't worry though, next chapter we'll be officially embarking on the game's story line, though it will be changed around quite a bit? Why? Because I want to write a happy ending for the story! The other story I'm working on, Oblivio Deorum, is also a "fix it" story but sadder than this one. And then I even have another idea for yet another story that will be an even farther fix it, but I probably won't start that one for a while yet. Help! I'm obsessed and have too many ideas!**

* * *

 **Anyway, despite how awkward this chapter felt to me, it's the final one before we actually start the game's story line. I'm trying to keep Noctis in line as a character but I'm having a bit of trouble with him, mainly because everyone's so freaking protective of Prompto. Let's all admit it though. He's a precious child and needs protecting.**


End file.
